Can This Eyesore Be Saved?
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Morton, however, hasn’t given up. He’s formed an organization, Citizens for the Adelphi Theater, launched a Web site (adelphitheater.org), and collected more than 1,000 signatures, many from folks too shy to include a last name or address. Last week, Morton says, Citizens for the Adelphi “actually had the opportunity to meet with Mayor Daley” to plead their case. The meeting–a surprise to the mayor–occurred as Daley left the stage after giving a speech at a Metropolitan Planning Council lunch. “We had a letter for him, and we gave him a gift of a framed picture of the Adelphi interior from 1917,” Morton says. “He seemed genuinely concerned. He said, ‘Oh, this is nice.’ We told him it’s scheduled to be demolished. He said he’d look into it and give us a call.”
Former owner Mark Magill, whose grandfather bought the theater about 25 years ago, calls the idea of reopening it a fantasy. “No one these days is serious about single-screen theaters,” Magill says–especially one with no parking and a deteriorating building. Forty-ninth Ward alderman Joe Moore says Morton is coming forward at the 11th hour without a feasible plan and with no money on the table. The building isn’t on the city’s list of buildings worthy of being considered for landmark status, Moore points out, referring to a position paper on his Web site. “Its original facade was destroyed many years ago, and most old theaters are not economically viable–all you have to do is look at the Uptown. I’d be doing my community a disservice by turning down an attractive proposal in favor of preserving the Adelphi, which has become a crumbling eyesore, on a hope and a prayer.” As for the height of the proposed condominium–a contentious issue in the neighborhood–Moore says “current zoning permits a four-story building; this is only one story taller. We should also look at what we get in return.” What’s that? “The developer will provide four affordable units out of 32–over 10 percent.” Moore says the affordable units will be priced at about $160,000 each; the rest will be about $350,000.
Kelly says Lookingglass is taking the flak for Crystal’s snub of a significant portion of the press. “Critics are always complaining that we’re all opening on the same night,” he says. “The one time we tried to alleviate that, we’re slapped just as hard as if we forged ahead. What would any other theater company have done when you’re opening up against Billy Crystal?”
