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Brooklyn’s Fortway Theatre Gutted
posted by
btkrefft
on
July 28, 2005 at 7:47 am
BROOKLYN, NY — The 1928 Fortway Theatre in Dyker Heights, which closed in June, has been gutted, according to the New York Daily News. Work began in early July. The former single-screen movie palace was acquired by Trident Developers, who insist, despite the doubts of neighbors, that the Fortway is not going to become housing.
“Absolutely no condos,” says Bob Geroulanos of Trident Developers. “We don’t have a tenant yet, but it will be developed for a commercial tenant’s use.” Locals already miss the theater. “My kids grew up in that theater,” says Sarah Massie, “It’s a sin they’ve closed it down. It was a place you could send them and not have to worry about them.”
Comments (3)
The NY Daily News is incorrect in stating the Fortway was turned into a fiveplex in 1972, it was not 1972 when this occurred. The Fortway was turned into a fiveplex in 1981. Before that the Fortway was a triplex theatre.
The end of an era. Thanks for the post Brian. I visited the Fortway so many times as a child, in fact my dad told us stories about going there with his friends in his youth. Although I have not attended shows there in years, I will miss the Fortway, especially the old Fortway, before it became a multiplex, with its mosaic tiling, lavender porcelain fountain in the lobby, the ornamental opera boxes and orange lights decorating the walls, and that bathroom vending machine with those wonderful little novelties.
Sitting at my computer here in Florida reading about how my favorite neighborhood haunts are being ‘gutted’. Grew up down the street from Fortway. Spent many hours there and at Stanley, Bay Ridge, Shore Road, Harbor, Electra and the Dyker where I ushered in 1946/47. The Alpine still stands and I remember seeing the western serials there on Saturday afternoons in the late 30’s.
Oh! my, the good old days in Bay Ridge.