Or a historic preservation fight, 34 years in the making, depending on your perspective.
"Community board members in Flushing are once again faced with a new development proposal at the site of the historic RKO Keith’s theater, the latest plan in a halting, decades-long attempt to repurpose the site of the grand movie palace," reports David Brand.
"Property owner Xinyuan Real Estate has submitted an application to the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals to build 173 condominiums and 162 hotel rooms in a 16-story tower that would rise above the theater facade," according to Brand.
China-based Xinyuan Real Estate bought the property in 2016, according to Brand, and in 2019 was reportedly moving forward with a plan to demolish the theater and replace it with 269 condominiums.
"The new proposal also includes more retail square footage and double the space set aside for an undisclosed 'community facility,' according to materials presented to the Queens Community Board 7 Land Use Committee Wednesday. Xinyuan has said they could complete the project by January 2023."
The theater closed down in 1986, and has faced numerous occasions of imminent development and demolition across the decades, spurring local advocates to fight to protect the theater as a site of significant cultural history, but the theater itself was never landmarked, according to a March 2019 article by Van Tieu.
As noted in the most recent article about the theater and the developers' plans to remake the location, previous developers have always managed to profit on the failure by selling to the next developer willing to give the location a shot.
FULL STORY: Flushing considers latest RKO Keith's development plan after 34 years of false starts
Community Planning Gives Voices to the Voiceless
People who can't vote can still have a say in the processes by which their neighborhoods are planned and developed. An example from New York City illustrates the point.
Amazon Calls the Whole New York Thing Off
The AmazonHQ2 circus is packing up and moving to another city.
Mayor de Blasio Stresses Affordable Housing in State of the City Address
In his State of the City Address on Feb. 3, the New York City mayor made it clear that his overriding priority is affordable housing. He targeted six neighborhoods in all five boroughs where development will be required to include affordable housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)