Kings Theatre
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
86 people
favorited this theater
Showing 601 - 625 of 1,564 comments
I hope that tour leads to a possible affirmative answer for restoration. As a theater major and nostalgia buff I hope for two things. One of them is the restoration of this grand lady and the other is for the World’s Fair to Return to Flushing Meadow. Getting the parachute jump operating would be another one, though I don’t ever remember it when it was operational. I may have been out of the loop for a while, but I never gave up hope that the marquis on Flatbush Avenue near the Flatbush Sears would light again. I may now start praying.
Wow Ken, that is a spectacular photo. Thanks!
This photo was taken the day before the theater opened. The photo is from the Ben Hall book “Best Remaining Seats”. There was a discussion about the book on this page back in July 2006.
http://tinyurl.com/5v2uq2
I did some research on CT and found out that The Loew’s Kings actually had the least amount of seats of all of the Wonder Theaters. Rather than the City’s third largest, the Kings would be the fifth largest performance theater behind Radio City, The MSG WaMU theater, The Paradise, and Loew’s 175th Street. Technically, the Valencia doesn’t count because it is not availble to the public as a performance venue (which was how Markowitz was counting it) and Loew’s Jersey doesn’t count because it’s in, well, Jersey! Just behind would be the St. George in Staten Island and the Beacon on the Upper West Side.
I have just come back from the theater tour held today, April 7th, at The Loew’s Kings.
I was present in October 2006 when the city’s NYEDC held a similar tour for an “RFEI” (Request for an Expression of Interest). The result of that process was that enough interest was expressed to move to the next step; an RFP – Request For Proposals and to make certain requirements as part of that request.
The city insists that the theater’s architectural elements be restored and that the theater be able to be operated as such. Not necessarily for movies, but for performing arts. The city also insists that all proposals be financially viable to enable the restored theater to operate WITHOUT any public subsidy.
The city has estimated that it will cost approximately $70MM to restore the Kings to its former opulence. Here is the important part: The city made it clear that they WOULD make grants to cover some or most of the resoration costs as long as the developer “made that as part of their proposal” (who wouldn’t) and as long as the developer had a plan to run the theater going forward without any further operating subsidies from the city.
Marty Markowitz introduced the tour and I do believe that he is totally sincere in his efforts to get The Kings project done. The turnout, in my opinion, was slightly higher than the turnout in 2006 for the RFEI and I was encouraged by the number of “Suits” in the audience. Some of the people were obviously interested in the theater. I was hoping that I was one of the few people who just wanted to see the theater again.
Regarding the actual condition of the theater: I posted my earlier tour in a post from October of ‘06 which I am repeating here:
We proceeded into the main auditoium and I was in awe of the vastness of the space! It was painful to see the tremendous water damage on parts of the walls. The seats are all there though and, to me, looked quite comfortable. The seats appeared larger than what we have today and the rows had amazing amounts of legroom; much more than you see in today’s theaters.
The walk up the grand staircase is majestic. Though the balcony is relatively small, it is spectacularly beautiful. What I found funny is how far away the screen is from the furthest seats in the orchestra and balcony sections. I could never see a movie from these seats! I would need opera glasses.
We also went into one of the basement levels under the grand foyer. It was big enough to have a makeshift basketball court set up. Apparently, the ushers played there between shifts. There is also a basement space beneath the theater itself though we didn’t get to see it.
The theater, while heavily damaged, is totally recoverable.
We learned that the exterior vertical Loew’s sign that once adorned the theater above the marquee is alive and well and being stored by the city. The city is asking, though not requiring, that the sign be reinstalled with any restoration of the theater. I am in agreement with above posters that the original marquee may be underneath the square one currently in place. You are able to see the curves when you stand underneath the marquee.
Very few of the curtain fabrics in the theater remain though some do.
I also was surprised by how small the candy counter was! It was tiny! I was also surprised at how small the bathrooms were especially for a theater of this size.
Additional information that I found out: There is a street directly behind the theater that will be demapped and included as part of the site. This will allow a developer to expand the backstage area and make the theater available for touring Broadway Shows/Concerts and other events.
It was pointed out that The Kings is the city’s 3rd largest theater, after Radio City and The WaMu theater at MSG. The Borough of Brooklyn has 2.6MM people and has only two performance spaces of note. The Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Performing Arts Center at Brooklyn College. There is every reason to believe that a restored Kings could do extremely well as a performing arts center, concert center and Broadway Show touring theater. Plus, the Kings HAS PARKING!
I came away from this event very hopeful for the future of The Kings. The RFP’s are due back to the NYEDC by the beginning of May. The city expects to select a plan within 60 days (July).
I’m sure I forgot some details. I’ll post additional recellections as they come to mind.
I think we’re on our way to finally saing The Loew’s Kings after almost 30 years of sitting in silence and decay.
Sure thing, hopefully I will be able to post my observations by Tuesday! Sorry I won’t be able to meet you! I went on this tour about 18 months ago and it was an incredible experience. I’m looking forward to seeing if I can noticably see any difference since October of 2006.
Please Luis, find out for us. I would have went, but I’m working in the projection room out here in Jersey all day Monday.
is there anybody out there!!!
This was my first time in months on this page and there is not a reply to anything. I want this theater open.
All joking aside, I would like to say that a grand dame like the Kings should be open for all those to see. It was a vaudeville house so it should be suited for something other than a movie theater.
GO FER IT!!!!!
Here is the exact quote from the ad which appears on page 33 of the March 30th issue of Crains NY Business:
“Responses to this request for proposals (RFP) must present plans to lease, rehabilitate and operate the theater”.
This can mean several things. I interpret it to mean that the theater must be restored and must be able to “operate” as a theater. It doesn’t mean that its primary function can’t be something else. In addition, I believe that the parking lots behind the theater are part of the lease and this can be very valuable to a developer.
The tour of the Kings for potential developers is scheduled for Monday afternoon (April 7th) at 2:00 PM. I have RSVP'ed and will find out as much as I can and report back to this page.
Well, I didn’t see the ad. But my guess is that they are saying that films must be a part of the picture. So if someone wanted to turn the booth into luxury suites, as in the case of the Bronx Paradise, it would be against the rules.
In this weeks issue of Crain’s New York Business, The NYEDC has taken a quarter page ad with a beautiful picture of the King’s auditorium viewed from the stage. In it, is announces the RFP and the requirement that the theater must be renovated and have the ability to show films again!
I forgot to tell the site to notify me, so I’m writing again
I may not have been on this site for a while, but I feel that Markowitz is right. This old queen of a theater should be reopen
The optimist in me has hope!
Requiring a response to the RFP by 05/07/2008 makes no sense. How does the NYCEDC expect to get responses to what will be an expensive and complex rehab project in such a relatively short time? The cynic in me says that the city sees that the Loew’s is beyond repair and is going through the motions one last time before giving up.
Press release- View link
RFP info- View link
Hi Scott, the city owns the property and this is the process for disposing of it. That said, I do think something will happen this time. Since the last RFP back in October of 2006, Brooklyn’s reputation as a vibrant city of the future has been cemented. Downtown is booming and (though there are housing issues to contend with) I think everyone feels that the future of Brooklyn as a whole is very bright. That bodes well for the redevelopment of the Kings and for the undeveloped parking lots that are potentially quite valuable for residential or retail. In addition, I think the city will chip in money to move this along as well. Markowitz totally has the power to use discretionary earmark money for borough projects. This is his last term and he’ll want to leave a legacy. What better legacy than the restoration of the most beautiful theater in Brooklyn!
Here we go again! The city is asking for RFP’s for The Kings. As part of the process, they are having a tour of the historic property on Monday, April 7th at 2:00 PM. I went on the tour in October of ‘06 and it was an incredible experience. I will be attending once again. Info is included in press release below:
March 17, 2008 â€" New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in cooperation with the Brooklyn Borough President, is seeking a developer and operator for the former Loew’s Kings Theatre (the “Theatreâ€). Responses to this Request for Proposals (RFP) must present plans to lease, rehabilitate and operate the Theatre.
The Theatre opened in 1929 as Loew’s Flagship Theatre. Designed in the French Renaissance style, the Theatreâ€\s architecture is heavily influenced by the Palace of Versailles and Paris Opera house. The Theatreâ€\s style is enhanced by high curved ceilings, wood paneling and ornate plaster walls. The seating capacity is 3,195 (2,295 in the orchestra and 900 in the mezzanine). The Theatre is approximately 68,300 gross square feet on approximately 55,000 square feet of land.
Located at 1025-1035 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, the Theatre is in the geographic center of the Cityâ€\s most populous borough, and in the heart of the thriving Flatbush Avenue shopping area. Retail offerings include clothing, appliances, furniture, food, and other goods serving the adjacent residential neighborhoods.
An information meeting and tour will be held at the Theatre on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Those who wish to attend the informational meeting must RSVP with Liliana Ruiz at (212) 312-3840 or on or before Friday, April 4, 2008. The site tour will be conducted immediately following the informational meeting. Interested parties are strongly encouraged to attend.
Companies that have been certified with the New York City Department of Small Business Services as Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) are strongly encouraged to apply. To find out more about M/WBE certification and NYCEDCâ€\s M/WBE Program, please go to www.nycedc.com/mwbeprogram
RFP responses are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, 2008. Submission guidelines and requirements are outlined in the RFP, which can be downloaded at www.nycedc.com/rfp
I know that i’m an eternal optimist, but for some reason I feel that something really is going to happen this time. Though I’ve criticized Markowitz in the past for not doing enough, I do honestly believe that he wants this to happen and that he has an emotional attachment to the place. Maybe he’s waited this long so that the renovation is well under way by the time he leaves office and he can point to it as a big achievement. Rumour has it he wants to run for mayor. Due to term limits he can no longer be Borough President.
Basically the same things were said in the Post article. FINALLY, after 30 years could it be???…
Here is what the article in Friday’s issue of The Real Deal (New York’s Real Estate Industry Bible) says about The Kings. I’m almost afraid to get my hopes up, BUT THEY ARE!
Loew’s Kings Theater in Flatbush could finally be redeveloped
By Saray Ryley
Loew’s Kings Theater, for decades an unsightly behemoth on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood, could finally be redeveloped soon, nearly two years after the city first tried to find a developer.
The city this week issued a request for proposals to refurbish the ornate 1929 movie house — where Borough President Marty Markowitz got his first kiss and Barbra Streisand worked the doors — into a headliner venue, following a preliminary search for developers. The restoration won’t be cheap: the estimated cost is $70 million.
The city issued a request for expressions of interest back in September 2006, and had said little about the theater since, leading some to believe it had been forgotten.
“We went back and did a condition study to give us a better handle on what it’s going to take to renovate,” said Janel Patterson, a city Economic Development Corporation spokeswoman, adding that a marketing consultant was hired to determine the most lucrative use of such a costly conversion. “That’s what took us two years.”
Already one of the city’s largest entertainment venues with 2,295 water-worn seats, the winning developer would gain adjacent city property on East 22nd Street to expand Loew’s front stage and back stage to accommodate live performances, and several city-owned parcels now leased to a private parking lot operator, which the developer could use to create decked parking. The existing structure is 63,000 square feet, including 5,000 square feet of retail space, but valuable air rights could yield a much larger complex.
The property is not landmarked, but the city’s RFP requires the theater to be renovated.
The winning developer would be expected to restore most of Loew’s surviving features, from its ornate curved ceilings to the whimsical mural of marching knights adorning the men’s room, all in classic movie house styling. Those features have suffered significant wear since the venue was shuttered in 1979.
The city suggests renovations could be funded with historic rehabilitation tax credits and the sale of naming rights could help fund the $70 million restoration.
Two serious attempts to redevelop the theater have failed since the city acquired it in the early 1980s.
No arguement here Luis. What we need here, and around the country is for not one more palace to ever be demolished again.
I don’t want to agree with Warren, but I’m afraid he’s probably right. I do believe that Markowitz has it in his power to provide needed seed money to get this project off the ground. His term, I believe is up in 2010 and I think he will want to leave some kind of legacy to the borough. Since he had his first date with his wife at The Kings, I think this project would be his sentimental favorite. Let’s hope so. The King’s is truly one of this country’s architectural treasures and needs to be restored to its original glory.
I read an article on page 2 of saturday March 15 New York Post, which states that the boro president of Brooklyn wants this theatre renovated by 2010. The city is supposed to be getting bids on the cost of renovation, in the neighborhood of $70 million. Lets hope it gets done this time. 30 years is long enough to wait.