The owners of the old Kimball Theatre are seeking the city’s approval to tear down the 1937 structure, and other buildings on Yonkers Avenue, to make way for a transportation-oriented development, lohud.com reported.
According to cinematreasures.org, the former 700-seat theater opened on March 12, 1937 and was once owned by the late Samuel M. Rubin, an entrepreneur who has been credited with bringing the now-ubiquitous popcorn to New York City theaters in the 1960s.
In the 1970s, the Kimball operated as “The Movies.”
Even after the last film had been shown, its Art Deco marquee remained above its entrance.
It was most recently used as a showroom for new and used furniture.
In the fall of 2004, the former film palace was badly damaged by a fire and six years later, another blaze did in what was left, cinematreasures.org said
Local landmark preservation officials told lohud.com that they were unaware of any architectural significance to the building, other than it was more than 75 years old.
There had been prior plans to raze the Kimball in order to build housing, but they all fell through, the lohud.com story said.
To read the lohud.com report, click here.
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