Relax, The Pavilion Is Not Becoming Condos…Just Yet
Locals who like having a convenient, if somewhat unkempt, movie theater in the area got a bit of a scare this week when they heard the Pavilion theater might turn into condos, but that fear is misplaced — at least for the time being.
Real estate blog 6sqft recently posted renderings of a redesigned Pavilion, the movie theater located at 188 Prospect Park West at 14th Street, which they’d spotted on architecture firm Architecture Outfit‘s site. A couple designs show a six-story residential building — one that eliminates the theater, another that keeps it — plus a new apartment building where the adjacent building at 192 Prospect Park West stands.
The post hit the neighborhood Facebook group Kensington, Brooklyn, and the reaction was mixed — some people noted they’ve avoided the theater in recent years following all sorts of complaints about poor conditions there, while others said they like the spot, which has been a theater since 1928.
“I would prefer to see them fix this place up than just make more overpriced condos though,”wrote Jessica Anselmo.
Well, it turns out neighbors who like the place may not have to worry just yet. Those renderings — they’re not recent. The principal at Architecture Outfit tells us they did them as a study for the owner a couple years ago, and Abraham Hidary, CEO of Hidrock Realty, which owns and leases the space to the theater management, confirms it, adding that they were just one of the architecture firms they spoke to about the possibilities, and have been considering a number of ideas about what to do with the space in the long term.
“A lot of things have to come together all at the same time for something to happen here,” he said, noting they’d have to find the right architect, come up with a design that works well for the community and within landmarking guidelines, and work with the theater management on a plan, as the Pavilion still has a number of years left on its lease. “It’s very unlikely something would happen in a month, but it could be sooner than eight years,” he added, estimating the theater’s lease.
Hidrock also owns the adjacent building at 192 Prospect Park West, which has been vacant for years, but was, a while back for those who remember, the restaurant Circles. Hidary says the space requires a lot of work to get it to be a great spot, but he’s still looking for the right restaurateur who’s willing to put in that time (and money). Though, he says they’d be interested in changing that space up quite a bit too (as you can see from the rendering), and would ideally tackle both projects simultaneously.
We’ll keep you posted if they move ahead with any plans, but for now, kick back and enjoy a screening of Penguins of Madagascar on the cheap — the Pavilion is running a deal where all tickets are $5 on Tuesdays. Let’s just hope the heat is working, and you’re not left feeling like you’re watching it in Antarctica…