Court halts eviction of synagogue in Queens

Landlord of former Trylon Theatre claims tenant hasn't paid rent for at least six months

98-81 Queens Boulevard, Queens
98-81 Queens Boulevard, Queens

A court ruling this week forestalled the eviction of a Bukharian community center that has occupied the former Trylon Theatre in Rego Park, Queens for more than a decade.

Judge Terrence O’Connor of Queens Civil Court dismissed landlord Rudolf Abramov’s claim that the Ohr Natan Synagogue and the affiliated Center for New Americans had stopped paying rent. The ruling was based on a legal technicality, and it’s unclear whether Abramov and his Trylon, LLC will pursue the case.

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Abramov purchased the 25,000-square-foot property at 9881 Queens Boulevard between 99th Street and 66th Avenue for $9 million in 2009 and filed plans to replace it with a residential building, DNAinfo reported.

Queens is home to one of the largest Bukharian populations in the country, according to reports. The center’s rabbi, Nahum Kaziev, told DNAinfo the group will remain in the space for now. The synagogue serves about 1,000 people a week, he said. [DNAinfo]Angela Hunt