Comments from NativeForestHiller

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NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jan 24, 2011 at 7:05 pm

Dave, superb work in drawing a comparison between the original blueprints and what features may be retained if developer Patrick Thompson & the politicians have their way.

I second your comment on how the developer does not seem to know what they are talking about. Removing the front for glass curtain slap would most likely mean sacrificing a wall of the original lobby. It is doubtful that the Landmarks Preservation Commission would permit that.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jan 23, 2011 at 6:46 pm

And I am sure there will be some type of wax figures of the political figures behind this, preserved behind glass for future generations too. If they want to mummify the lobby, they will cast themselves as well. Nightmare At The RKO Keith’s!

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jan 22, 2011 at 11:33 pm

I am with you, Jeffrey & Dave. The photos in the Queens Courier are precisely what it looks like now. Not so bad afterall. The developers tend to exaggerate about condition to generate an excuse for demolition of what they want, and also say that something intact is in shambles to make it appear as if they are actually doing something. This is one such case study. Observe it citywide, and we will all see for ourselves.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jan 14, 2011 at 9:34 pm

This appears on the Rego-Forest Preservation Council Blog:

“Coming Attraction: Nightmare At The RKO Keith’s Theatre”

View link

It takes into account the History At Sake segment with an article in Crain’s, & David He’s quintessential peace capturing sentiments & the vision of members of Rego-Forest Preservation Council & Friends of The RKO Keith’s Flushing Theatre.

Shall we settle for a Landmark or a glass high-rise rental with a curtain-wall lobby? Post a comment on the blog link, & spread the word!

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jan 13, 2011 at 6:53 pm

The fact I disagree with is the need to limit what you can save. Putting tax credits, grants, subsidies, and low-interest loans aside (as helpful as they are), in many cases, incorporating existing features (restored over the long-term or not) into a new use for the space will prove to be more economical than the high cost of demolition and new construction, particularly in this economy. As a preservationist, you should strive for all remnant theaters, since there are far fewer these days to save. That is my philosophy, and we should do all that we can before any bulldozers potentially come. Thank you for your compliments in regard to my work. I am impressed with the rundown of theaters you mentioned, and hope many more will be saved.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jan 13, 2011 at 6:21 pm

I disagree. We should aim for the preservation and restoration &/or reconstruction of as much as possible from square 1, and do all we potentially can proactively & in the moment when necessary. Smaller scale theaters can be considered miniature palaces. America’s foremost theater architect Thomas Lamb’s greatest works in Queens include the RKO Keith’s Flushing Theatre & the Ridgewood Theatre; the latter of which is his earliest extant theater design. If you were in the theater in the late 70s, you would clearly recall the auditorium’s smaller scale palatial feel. The proscenium has since been unveiled. Never consider anything a lost cause. There are no bulldozers. Stand up for what the majority believes in! Even if the Ridgewood becomes a supermarket, there’s no reason a performing arts space can’t co-exist, likely increasing the building’s revenue. The supermarket can be built around the original architectural features(restored or not or restored over the long-term), giving the site a more distinctive environment with a historic customers for customers and die-hard theater preservationists & patrons.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 18, 2010 at 1:23 pm

You are right on target, Panzer65! Those types of people only see one thing, and that is not the community or a historic treasure. It would be great seeing a photo of the chandelier.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 17, 2010 at 11:21 pm

Read the above and you will see how the 2 Nicks are stating the Ridgewood Theatre is “beyond saving.” Keep in mind that it was a fully operational theater 2 years ago, and how carefully some of the multiplexing was removed to reveal the authentic 1916 Thomas Lamb features in 2009. That’s for the record!

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 17, 2010 at 11:18 pm

View link

Rediscovering the past of the silent theater in Ridgewood
Queens Rubbish Removal

Vintage oil can in the original projection room of the Rigewood Theater, which has been shuttered since 2008

I snatched an oil can from the projection room of the Ridgewood Theater, because soon, that will be the only thing left of it.

As you have probably heard by now, the historic Ridgewood Theater, which has been shuttered since 2008, may be turned into an Associated supermarket, according to news reports.

Since the building was boarded up two years ago, not many people are aware of the theaterâ€\s appearance inside because it is not open to the public. However, because of a demolition and garbage cleanout estimate I did several months ago, I have multiple photographs that I will post today on Trash Treasures of New York City.

Three layers of fabric wallpaper — the original wallpaper from 1916 was never removed

In July 2010, the real estate team in charge of selling the building hired me to provide an estimate for a full interior demolition and clean out of all of the contents that remained in the theater. I walked around the theater for an hour, jotting down notes and taking photographs of the theaterâ€\s conditions at the time. I saw all the little nooks and crannies and crevices from the basement up to the roof. Behind the stage, back staircases â€" I saw it all.

Balcony level hand rail with plaster ballisters

Nobody ever had access as far into the building as I did, so my photographs are rare. If you go into that building, you wonâ€\t necessarily walk where I walked because itâ€\s too dangerous. Iâ€\m in the demolition business. Nobody told me, “Donâ€\t go there.” I have to look at what I have to look at.

Arm rest of an original chair in the theater (found in storage room)

Recently, I sent about 100 of my exclusive photos to Nicholas Hirshon, a reporter for the New York Daily News. “The photos show much of the theater is beyond saving,” Hirshon reported last week, “but some carvings, seats and other aspects seem intact.”

Operating projection room up to 2008

Projection Room

When I was walking through the building, I came across a projection room, where I saw several projectors that looked about 30 years old. I thought that these were the projectors that had been used decades ago, back when the theater first opened. I now realize that these were merely the projectors the theater was using before it was shuttered in 2008.

Ship ladder in closet that leads up to original projection room from 1916

As I kept moving through the theater, I discovered a ship ladder tucked away in a closet-like area. It led up to what I assume was the original projection room.

There were just three original projectors left, still bolted to the floor. There was a can of oil from the 1940s that had once been used to oil the projectors. The can was bright orange and said “GULF SAPHIRE MOTOR OIL.” Near a boarded-up glass window, which faced the stage of the theater, there was a cardboard sign that read: “OIL PROJECTORS,” which must have been used as a reminder for employees. I could tell that it was the original projector, just based on the construction of it. It had the look of an old Ford Model T car. Back then, when a car was built, it was very simple â€" you could take apart a car and put it back together in a day. Thatâ€\s how the projector was.

Sign that indicates projectors need to be oiled

Storage cabinet in projection room holding the theater’s last oil can

Original projector from 1916

Pipe Organ

In response to the Daily News article, Jeff Morrell, a sales engineer from Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., emailed me photos of the theater that he had taken in 1977. Morrell, 62, and his friend Carl Weiss, who has since passed away, were visiting the theater. They shared a passion for theater and pipe organs and wanted to check out the place. Weiss must have known the manager, Morrell said, because they were able to get into the theater before a show was playing.

Ridgewood Theater stage, 1977 (Courtesy of Jeff Morrell)

Weiss and Morell were particularly interested in seeing the “pipe organ that still resided behind the walls flanking the stage,” Morell wrote in his email. “We wondered what was left and what kind of shape it was in. Although the console was long gone (we could not find it) most of the pipe work was still intact.”

Carl Weiss, friend of Jeff Morrell, standing in front of pipe organ grill in 1977. (Courtesy of Jeff Morrell)

Through basic research, Morell learned that the organ was “built and installed by the Moller Organ Company of Hagerstown, Maryland in 1917.” He said it consisted of a keyboard console and had 16 sets of pipes, each of which acted as a voice in the organ.

He said that at the time, the instrument cost $5,250 and weighed 16 tons. “All pipe organs have what is called an Opus number which identifies it,”Morrell said. “The Ridgewood Mollerâ€\s was 2408.” Morrell and I later spoke for at least an hour, discussing the pipe organ and the past and present condition of the historic building.

The Ridgewood Theater

The Ridgewood Theater opened its doors in 1916, and stayed open for 91 years, according to a 2008 Queens Chronicle article, which was written directly after the theater was shuttered. The building was designed by architect Thomas White Lamb, who built more than 300 theaters worldwide.

The same pipe organ grill pictured above, except this one was taken in 2010 — 33 years later!

The theater opened as a silent movie theater, and the only sound that youâ€\d hear during a film screening was from an organ and a thunder sheet, which was a piece of metal that flaps in the wind to make noises.

After I provided the estimate for an interior demolition job for the theater, I believe that it is unable to be restored. It is simply too far gone and too destroyed to ever get to where it was during its glory days.

“Itâ€\s a shame that the theatre has reached the end of its life as such,” Morrell said in his email. “But, thatâ€\s life, I guess.”

Stay tuned to WeLoveGarbage.wordpress.com for photos of the theaterâ€\s original bathroom interior and more!

DiMola Bros Rubbish Removal
1640 Summerfield St.
Ridgewood, NY 11385
Phone: 718-326-6969
Fax: 718-326-7979
/ http://dimolabros.com

DiMola Bros â€" Providing Queens junk removal services since 1956!

~ by dimolabros1956 on December 14, 2010.

Posted in Cool Find of the Day
Tags: dimola bros, dimola bros queens, interior demolition, nick dimola, queens, queens interior demolition, queens ridgewood theater, Queens Rubbish Removal, ridgewood theater, rubbish removal, rubbish removal queens, trash pick up, trash pickup

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 17, 2010 at 7:31 pm

Thank you for the update Peter. This is quite perplexing!

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 13, 2010 at 5:34 pm

Great quotes, Panzer65 & Peter! Very true.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 9, 2010 at 2:33 pm

You make a great point, Luis. Other theaters have been in a worse state and have been heart-fully restored. The Daily News article says that the condition of the interior was unknown until they took photos. I saw the interior with my own eyes, and it bears closer resemblance to its original glory than ever before. I was inside with the NY Times, also have photos to prove it. Architect Bryon Russell who drew up restoration plans, also has extensive photos to prove our point. Why does the Daily News reporter make a whole to-do over a demolition guy who found some artifacts? Instead of emphasizing the Adamesque and Greek Revival treasures that were miraculously unveiled after the multiplexing was carefully removed, and rather than covering the cohesive methods of the parties working together to retain and restore a most rare theater, they make it seem as if the theater & preservation cause is beyond hope. It shows what side the reporter is really on.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 6, 2010 at 4:10 pm

Thank you for your wishes, Peter! Let’s keep the faith!

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 6, 2010 at 4:09 pm

Those who sit back and do nothing are called defeatists, which I am not. One should do everything possible until a settlement is reached.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Queens Theatre on Dec 6, 2010 at 4:07 pm

This is the link to the Facebook Group for Rego-Forest Preservation Council:

View link

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 6, 2010 at 3:36 am

Thanks for the video link!

It would be a major blow in the name of historic preservation if some of the rare auditorium features such as the back-lit proscenium designed by the foremost Thomas Lamb was torn down. Other features are grand columns, balustrade-fronted balconies with ornate plaster work, and angelic figurines. A treasure never diminishes in value, so it needs polishing. The theater does not have to be restored 100%. The major historic elements need a polishing. There is funding available for a more basic restoration, which will create a more appealing atmosphere for customers. The owner should take this into account. I hope to meet with him and other parties shortly.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Queens Theatre on Dec 6, 2010 at 3:30 am

Also, please join the Rego-Forest Preservation Council group on Facebook that I organized. We are hoping to save theaters and all historically distinctive buildings on the order of the Queens Theater. My blog is http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com I am the Chair & mostly cover Rego Park and Forest Hills hence its names, but see the larger picture of Queens is significant to cover as well.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Queens Theatre on Dec 6, 2010 at 3:28 am

Thank you for the update! It will be very disheartening to see the ornamentation gone from the historic terra cotta facade. Why do people destroy works of art? It boils down to being unappreciative and greedy, and in some cases, not educated. It is amazing how many church groups say they’re restoring some of our theaters, and the community believes them and ends up with a completely different product. Take what the Rock Church did to the Elmwood Theatre in Elmhurst on Queens Blvd, for example….They chiseled and paved over all the ornate glazed terra cotta detail with synthetic stucco (styrofoam) and betrayed the community. They told the media it is being restored. A pity! Please take photos of the Queens Theatre if you can. Thank you!

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theater in Brooklyn to Become Supermarket on Dec 3, 2010 at 12:00 am

PETITION DRIVE! The Ridgewood Theatre facade has Landmark status, but Architect Thomas Lamb’s 1916 interior exhibiting RARE Adamesque details i.e. a backlit proscenium, angelic figurines & muses, etc. merit preservation, re-use, & funding prospects. Many details were only recently uncovered & a treasure was unveiled….only to be destroyed??? It may become a supermarket & undergo demolition.

Please sign & comment on the petition, & pitch it to your friends: View link

We are calling for a meeting with the owner, elected officials, and preservation & community groups, including my group, Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 2, 2010 at 11:57 pm

PETITION DRIVE! The Ridgewood Theatre facade has Landmark status, but Architect Thomas Lamb’s 1916 interior exhibiting RARE Adamesque details i.e. a backlit proscenium, angelic figurines & muses, etc. merit preservation, re-use, & funding prospects. It may become a supermarket & undergo demolition.

Please sign & comment on the petition, & pitch it to your friends:

View link

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Dec 2, 2010 at 10:39 pm

View link

Times NewsWeekly
Nov 25, 2010

Supermarket May Be The Next Act At The Ridgewood Theatre
Moviehouse Sold To Jackson Heights Investors
by Robert Pozarycki

A new supermarket may soon be opening its doors at the historic and vacant Ridgewood Theatre.

The Times Newsweekly was informed on Wednesday morning, Nov. 24, that the former moviehouse on Myrtle Avenue between Madison Street and Putnam Avenue was recently purchased by a group of entrepreneurs based in Jackson Heights who plan to open an Associated supermarket at the location.

The exterior of the theater, located at 55-27 Myrtle Ave., was recently given landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. It closed in March 2009 after serving as a multiplex theater for many years.

While the façade and the marquee of the theater must remain as they are as a result of the landmark declaration, the new owners of the buildings may remodel the interior as they see fit, according to Paul Kerzner, incoming president of the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association.

“I would dare say that they would have to level the floors inside the theater, otherwise everything would be on a 30-degree angle,” Kerzner told the Times Newsweekly in a phone interview. Local business and civic leaders with knowledge of the sale noted that they have yet to see any plans for what the new owners plan to do with the building.

Under existing zoning laws for the site, it was noted, a supermarket with up to 17,000 sq. ft. of retail space could be created within the theater.

Ted Renz, executive director of the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District, hoped that a deal could be struck with the new ownership to allow for the upper floors of the vacant theater to be used as a community exhibition space for artists. The idea was pitched originally by groups in Ridgewood and Bushwick during a walking tour of the former moviehouse in April and garnered some support among local leaders.

Overall, Kerzner expressed a favorable view of the purchase and potential development of an Associated supermarket at the Ridgewood Theatre.

“We could have done a hell of a lot worse in terms of what could have gone in there,” he said, noting that among the ideas presented and rejected for the site included a charter school, a drug treatment counseling facility and condominiums.

“This seems to be the best use. It’s actually helpful since there isn’t a large supermarket in that end of Ridgewood,” Kerzner added. “If they market it right, they can do very well.”

This paper attempted to contact the attorney representing the supermarket developers on Wednesday morning, but the lawyer was not available for comment before press time.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Nov 30, 2010 at 6:56 pm

John D. has had some great suggestions. The facade has been landmarked, but the interior is in limbo. Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre is in the process of working with Ridgewood organizations, citywide and statewide preservation organizations, electeds, and we are reaching out to the owner & calling for a meeting. Creative & adaptive reuse is not impossible, and has been conducted successfully nearby. For example, the former bank on Myrtle Ave became a Rite Aid, and they preserved the period features. Tax credits, grants, and other financial benefits are also available in this case, if the owner is interested in benefiting from this. I will continue to post updates.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Nov 27, 2010 at 2:41 pm

MikeZZ & AprilY, you have your facts wrong. Yes, I will make this publicly known, since fairness is fairness when it comes to credit. You were not there. I was. Check the date of the submitted research. File for a Freedom Of Information Law request. I only “bash” those who are incorrect and deliberate. You are only taking the reporter’s word since they work for a major newspaper, and the LPC is a comrade. They want more coverage in a major newspaper. The Daily News took the facts from my press release as Chairman of Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre. He was fed information and made no mention of the spearheading party. I know the truth, and don’t wish to discuss this further.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Nov 27, 2010 at 2:47 am

We are calling for a meeting with new owner Tony Guzman involving restorative funding & creative adaptive reuse, along the lines of other theaters and banks: View link

Please feel free to post comments on the blog site.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller commented about Ridgewood Theatre on Nov 26, 2010 at 9:58 pm

MikeZZ: Let me clarify further. On behalf of a consortium of Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre (as chair), the Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance, and Rego-Forest Preservation Council, in March 2008, I was indeed first to submit a Request For Evaluation form, an accompanying research paper tracing the architectural and cultural history and its endangered status, and vintage movie ads and photos to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. The LPC and Nick Hirshon of the Daily News are comrades, and that is why one takes and the other gives credit. True that all journalists were helpful, but initial credit is due where it deserves accordingly. If you do not believe me, file for a FOIL (Freedom Of Information Law) request with the LPC, and you will see the archives including all submitted information on the Ridgewood Theatre to date. There is a difference between journalism and historic preservation.

Now onto more important matters, directly relating to the current status of the Ridgewood Theatre…

John, you have communicated great ideas. I have had some of the same thoughts, and would like to speak with you. Can you please e-mail me at and we can exchange phone numbers? I would appreciate your role. I am in the process of calling for a meeting with the new owner. This would hopefully preserve rare interior architecture at the site, make Associated Supermarket franchisee Tony Guzman aware of funding opportunities, other sites locally and beyond that underwent a successful parallel conversion with history in mind, and explain to him how he will be viewed as a welcomed entity in the community (despite performing arts being the most ideal function for the theater). I embrace the idea of community spaces on the upper floors, and hopefully he will be interested.