Decision to raze historic First Playhouse Theater in Great Neck Estates delayed
Great Neck Estate's historic First Playhouse Theater on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014. Village officials have not reached a decision on a proposal to raze the theater to make way for a 20-unit apartment building. Credit: Steve Pfost
A decision on a controversial proposal to raze the historic First Playhouse Theater in Great Neck Estates to make way for a 20-unit apartment building on the site has been put off again.
A public hearing to discuss an amendment to the developer's Incentive Zoning application that was scheduled for Monday night was continued until May 11 at the request of Uniondale attorney William Bonesso, who represents the developer, First Playhouse of Great Neck Corp.
The theater, built in 1925, is at Maple Drive and Middle Neck Road. The Marx Brothers and Irving Berlin are among the notables who appeared there, and preservationists have urged village officials not to let the iconic building be torn down.
Bonesso said the May 11 hearing date was requested to give the developer time to receive a letter from attorneys for neighboring Great Neck Plaza and for the Great Neck Estates village board to consider other related matters.
Great Neck Plaza officials are "basically concerned as to the impact [of the project] on Great Neck Plaza properties as well -- they're right on the border" with Great Neck Estates Bonesso said in a telephone interview yesterday.
The Great Neck Estates board needed additional time to review agreements between the developer and Great Neck Plaza officials.
Bonesso said the Great Neck Estates governing body also wanted more of an opportunity to review the answers provided by the developer's traffic consultant to questions posed by Great Neck Estates' traffic consultant.
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