nyc-urbanism: THE TIMES SQUARE THEATER (PART II of III)) Our last post left off with the Times Squar
nyc-urbanism: THE TIMES SQUARE THEATER (PART II of III)) Our last post left off with the Times Square theater being converted to show low budget films during the Depression. The theater never recovered its grandeur of the 1920s, as movies quickly became the most popular form of entertainment. The Times Square survived for the next several decades showing films, while many nearby theaters were demolished, but it would eventually shutter in 1989. Multiple public and private large-scale masterplan proposals during this time period reflected the changing landscape of urban planning in and around Times Square. The RPA published a report proposing multi-level pedestrian connector, including “a mechanical aid to pedestrian circulation, such as a moving belt or new type of shuttle train.” The report also looked at pedestrianizing Times Square and office towers “as large as three World Trade Centers” on the west side of Times Square. The master plan titled A City at 42nd Street (above), proposed covering 42nd street in order to create a “theme-park like development” that the Times labeled “the biggest discotheque in the city.” As part of the proposal, the Times Square Theater’s facade would be restored, with the rest of the building demolished and repurposed for an exhibit atrium. This was followed with another proposal to demolish One Times Square and the surrounding buildings in order to build a postmodern office park. Almost a decade long protest eventually killed this proposal and in 1992, to jump-start revitalization, the city and state released a plan, 42nd Street Now!, recommending a set of guidelines for a retail, entertainment, and hotel complex with vibrant signage, as seen in the rendering above. A year later, Disney signed a deal for the restoration of the largest theater on the block, The New Amsterdam. Disney’s presence signaled the tourist-oriented, entertainment and retail revival that was begging to take ahold of Times Square. But as most of the remaining theaters were restored, the Times Square was never landmarked and failed at multiple attempts for adaptive reuse. (Stay tuned for part 3 or visit our website to read the entire piece) (at Times Square Theater)https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx0fyxnHq8X/?igshid=u9w2d3dnhfs2 -- source link