BROOKLYN, N.Y. - It’s been padlocked for more than four decades but now the historic Shore Theater is ready for its next act: Not as a place to see movies or shows, but as a boutique hotel.
The Landmark Preservation Commission approved the developer's plan to preserve the building’s exterior which is the final hurdle before construction can begin.
“I’m very happy with the outcome and we’re excited to actually kick off and break ground," said Eduard Yadgarov, the Director of Operations at PYE Properties.
It will be called the Shore Hotel and feature 50 rooms, a spa, a rooftop restaurant and retail space.
Although the facade will be restored, the developer PYE Properties says the interior couldn’t be saved because of decades of neglect, including a collapsed roof.
"It’s really nothing to save and it’s been completely demolished by nature. So that’s why we came up with something new that can be supportive of the whole year round with the spa hotel," said PYE Properties Principal Peter Yadgarov.
The Shore Theater was built in 1925, originally for Vaudeville shows. It changed hands several times and was put to many uses, including as a movie house for X-rated films, before closing for good in 1978, just as hard times descended on the neighborhood.
The city declared it a landmark nine years ago and although the building has deteriorated, traces of its past are clear like these terra-cotta tiles under the scaffolding. The developer has hired a preservation company from California to work on them.
"They have to come out and measure them the ones that are damaged or spalling. We’re going to have to replace some of them. If we’re able to repair them, we will do so," Yadgarov said.
The developer is banking on the hotel and spa becoming an anchor in the steady revival of Coney Island.
The building is located at the busy intersection of Surf and Stillwell Avenues, near Nathan’s and the Stillwell Avenue train station.
"We want to bring it this back to Coney Island, something really beautiful at the corner. And I should say it’s the heart of Coney Island. It has a lot of history," said Peter Yadgarov.
Should construction go as planned, owners say they hope to have the hotel open by 2021.