You are reading

Demolition Planned For Defunct 82nd Street Movie Theater

40-31 82nd Street

40-31 82nd Street

Nov. 23, 2015 By Laura A. Shepard

The end is looming for the ornate but decrepit vacant movie theater on 82nd Street, as its soon-to-be new owner plans to demolish it within the next few months.

The property, located at 40-31 82nd St., is currently owned by Sona Realty Corp. It is under contract with Sun Equity Partners, according to David Alani of Inline Realty, which is brokering the deal.

Sun Equity Partners plans to demolish, rebuild and lease the space.

Demolition of the structure is necessary because it is “not salvageable in its current state; it’s too dangerous and not up to code,” Alani said.

No demolition permits have yet been filed with the Department of Buildings; Sun Equity Partners director of operations Abe Tress said they plan to file in January.

Tress declined to disclose the amount of the property transaction, but explained that it is complicated because Sona Realty has about 13 partners.

While the formal closing would not be until April, being under contract means that Sun Equity legally controls the property, Tress said.

Currently, Inline Realty has a sign over the theater marquee advertising two floors of retail space.

Alani said Sun Equity wants to bring in a combination of national retailers and local mom and pop shops and that several local businesses have already reached out and shown strong interest. They are open to community suggestions and are “trying to bring tenants that will improve the neighborhood,” he added.

If a larger tenant, such as a school or hospital shows an interest, Sun Equity Partners may consider creating a community-use building, up to six stories as opposed to only two, and housing classrooms or medical offices on the upper floors. Tress said that the basement may be used for retail.

Alani said that Sun Equity has reached out to the Department of Education to see about putting in a public school or charter school, as well as Elmhurst hospital.

Sun Equity Partners is a newcomer to Jackson Heights. The company, which formed in 2010, is headquartered at 31 West 34th St. in Manhattan and owns property in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan.

“We look to redevelop distressed retail properties so this was a perfect opportunity,” Tress explained. “It’s a great opportunity for development.”

“The rendering on display is a bit uninspiring when compared to the space where the theater is located,” Leslie Ramos, director of the 82nd Street Partnership, said, referring to the Inline Realty sign hanging on the building. “The rest could use an upgrade. I’m hoping that the final project is more creative architecturally and that it will contain spaces for community programming and offices.”

“The building will be a huge loss. With its demolition, part of the community’s history will be gone,” Ramos added. “Whatever they decide to do, it would be great if they could integrate the theater facade and entryway into the final project.”

The contract process is still in the preliminary stages, but Tress said that Sun Equity Partners will solicit community input closer to the official closing.

As for restoring a movie theater to the location, he said that they have reached out to several movie operators, but have not received any responses so far.

He hopes that the site will ultimately be ready for occupancy by May 2017.

40-31 82nd Street Rendering by Queens Post

email the author: [email protected]

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
Sylvia

May be they should build residential units on top while the commercial units are on the bottom

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

CM Moya announces support for massive Metropolitan Park proposal near Citi Field

Council Member Francisco Moya announced his support for Metropolitan Park, a proposal put forward by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International that calls for the construction of a casino and entertainment complex on the parking lot just west of Citi Field.

In a lengthy statement released on Thursday afternoon, Moya said that when he was first approached about the project, his main consideration was ensuring that it would meet the needs of his constituents and provide a major boost to the local economy.

Manhattan bouncer charged in New Year’s Day fatal stabbing in Elmhurst: NYPD

A Manhattan man was arrested on Saturday and charged in the fatal stabbing of an East Elmhurst man during the early morning hours of New Year’s Day in what notably became the city’s first homicide of 2024.

Torrence Holmes, 35, of St. Nicholas Place in Hamilton Heights, was taken into custody at his home and transported back to Queens, where he was booked at the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst on manslaughter and other charges on Saturday afternoon.