Broadway’s Palace Theatre Will Be Lifted by Four Floors

Image Courtesy of Cinema Treasures & NYC 1959 to Present

Times Square’s Palace Theatre was once as high as you could get in the world of Vaudeville. Soon, it will get a little higher. Robert Viagas and PLAYBILL reports that Broadway’s Palace Theatre will be lifted by four floors to make room for retail space.

In an unusual but not unprecedented move, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission granted permission Nov. 24 for a construction project that will literally jack up the 1913 vintage theatre at 1563 Broadway by 29 feet in order to accommodate a new lobby, new dressing rooms, elevators, restrooms — plus retail space fronting on Seventh Avenue on the northeast corner of Times Square, where the current lobby is now, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“The interior of the historic Palace Theatre will be restored and elevated 29 feet as part of a $2 billion redevelopment project in the heart of Times Square, a move met with unease by some preservationists.

On Tuesday, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a plan by developers to lift the theater, restore and improve elements of its decorative interior, and add about 10,000 feet of space.“ – Wall Street Journal

image courtesy of Cinema Treasures

A new lobby entrance will be built on the 47th Street side of the building, topped by a 75-foot marquee. The theatre’s interior is landmarked and will be preserved as is. The effort, part of a $2 billion redevelopment project, is spearheaded by Maefield Development.

It will not be the first time a Broadway theatre was moved from its original site. The old Eltinge Theatre (a.k.a. the Empire Theatre) was shifted 170 feet west in 1998 as part of the renaissance of 42nd Street, and is now the AMC Empire 25 cineplex.

Tony Mazzo, who supervised that project, reportedly told the commissioners Nov. 24 that because the Palace Theatre has no interior columns for the most part, it is “extra strong.” He was quoted as saying that while the project is complicated, there won’t be a problem “as long as the building doesn’t know it’s moving,” according to a report on the architectural website New York Yimby.

“The Historic District Council’s Kelly Carroll quoted the theater interior’s designation report, which says, “If one theater in New York’s Broadway theater district were to be named the most famous, the privilege would fall virtually uncontested to the Palace.”

LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said the theater is “very interesting” and it is “vitally important to protect these interiors,” but they must also protect the theater’s use as a theater. She said the proposal is both preservation and adaptive reuse, which the commissioners usually love. She said it is a “very bold and daring approach” and a “great project” even though it “pushes the envelope.” She found comfort in previous structure moves. She said a new entrance won’t diminish the theater. Her only concern: Will it work?” – New York Yimby

ABOUT THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA: Founded by Ben Hall in 1969, the Theatre Historical Society of America (THS) celebrates, documents and promotes the architectural, cultural and social relevance of America’s historic theatres. Through its preservation of the collections in the American Theatre Architecture Archive, its signature publication Marquee™ and Conclave Theatre Tour, THS increases awareness, appreciation and scholarly study of America’s theatres.

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