Landmarked Ridgewood Theatre seeks redevelopment ideas

The owners of the newly-landmarked Ridgewood Theatre on Myrtle Avenue in Queens are seeking partners for the 17,000-square-foot former movie house’s redevelopment, though they’re not yet sure what to do with the space. Possible plans include taking the theater, which closed in 2008, back to its roots as a dual movie theater and retail space or turning it into condominiums. Last week, a group of 50 theater owners and developers who have experience with redeveloping old theaters toured the space, but according to Paul Kerzner of the Ridgewood Local Development Corporation, there were no bites. “Obviously one of [the theater’s] best uses is to fully restore it, but in today’s economic climate, our timing may be off,” Kerzner said. The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to landmark the exterior of the Ridgewood Theater in January, a decision that still needs final approval from the City Council. [NYDN]