A New Vision For Park Slope’s Pavilion
Hidrock Realty, based in Herald Square, recently bought the Pavilion Theater with the intention to convert it into a residential building. The building will have 24 apartments, taking up 46,000 square feet, and about 8,000 square feet of commercial space. Hidrock also bought the former Circles Cafe. Located in Park Slope, where sales prices for homes are 64 percent higher than the median sales price in the rest of Brooklyn – according to Trulia – the theater should be a prime space for new real estate. Morris Adjmi Architects appears to be the architect firm that will be responsible for the development, though the project still needs approval from the Landmarks Commission, since it is part of the Park Slope historic district.
In it’s prime, the Pavilion Theater was an iconic part of the neighborhood, and its shows received attendance from residents throughout Kensington, Park Slope and Windsor Terrace. However, its recently seen a tremendous decline in quality and attendance, especially compared to the modern developments that have been cropping up all over Park Slope. The theater has earned a reputation for being old and dirty, with nearly 200 one or two star reviews on Yelp. In recent years, there were reported bedbug infestations according to The Bedbug Registry, a public online database where sightings can be reported. Manager Ross Brunetti wrote a public apology. “Even in its somewhat-faded glory, the Pavilion is a part of growing up and being a family in Park Slope,” said City Council-member Brad Lander. “The Pavilion is a long-time local fixture, open to neighbors of every generation.” Though many agree that the Pavilion is a hallmark of Park Slope, the theater has certainly seen a decline in business, making the concept of redevelopment a realistic proposal. Geto points out that the space isn’t fully utilized as is, which would change if the interior is redesigned for a new purpose. He believes that the space as he imagines it could become a huge asset to the neighborhood.
Geto, the developer’s spokesman, explained that he plans to maintain the basic structure of the exterior, focusing primarily on interior renovations. “The movie theater that is there today will not be part of the new project,” he said. “However, they are working diligently to have a new movie theater in the building. It’s not going to be the one that is there now, which is frankly a little shopworn and infested. The plan is to bring in a more modern theater, which will inevitably be smaller. It will hopefully be more in tune with [the] neighborhood.”
Photo courtesy of YIMBY