A legendary but long-shuttered Brooklyn performance palace – which in its heyday saw the likes of Bob Hope and Milton Berle take the stage – has been saved from the wrecking ball.
The majestic Loew’s Kings theater on Flatbush Avenue had been in danger of being demolished by City Hall bulldozers before community groups and Borough President Marty Markowitz jumped in with calls for the iconic venue’s revival.
Now, the city’s Economic Development Corp. is seeking proposals from developers interested in reviving the 77-year-old former movie palace and vaudeville house, which closed in 1979.
The 77,200-square-foot theater represents the Big Apple’s third-largest performance space and has a star-studded list of former employees, including Barbra Streisand, Sylvester Stallone and Henry Winkler.
Markowitz and Bruce Friedman, who heads the group Save the Kings, say the city-owned theater could flourish again if restored and converted into a performing-arts center.
They also believe the 3,195-seat theater could be a centerpiece for a bigger project that includes residential space, a boutique hotel and retail shops above the theater.
The EDC envisions similar uses, including a commercial theater, a not-for profit cultural institution, a gallery and auction house, a television and movie facility, residential units, a hotel, restaurants and retail space.
“We worked very closely with Markowitz’s office on this,” said EDC spokeswoman Janel Patterson, adding that the plan includes restoring the building’s facade.
The city has been in this spot several times before since taking over the property decades ago. Proposals have come and gone, most recently NBA legend Magic Johnson’s failed attempt in 1999 to turn the building into a 12-screen movie house.
City officials estimate it would cost tens of millions of dollars to restore the theater, where the interior has suffered mightily as a result of roof leaks and pigeon droppings.