When I started researching this post, I was confused, as I started finding articles announcing (and usually complaining about) the demolition of the Shore Hotel in Coney Island. A bit of further research revealed that the Shore Hotel has indeed been demolished, a bit more than a year ago, and that this is the Shore Theater.
By all accounts, including those who mourn its demise, the Hotel was a dump. And from the pictures I saw, it was not much to look at architecturally either. Maybe if I had seen it I would have loved it, but I cannot get worked up that it was destroyed. The theater is safe for now, and some accounts indicate that it was landmarked, but it is caught in netherworld where it would cost more money to fix and run as a theater again than it could possibly generate as revenue. As I learned and discussed in connection with my images of the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, retrofitting an old theater to handle the demands of modern acts is not only expensive, but time consuming and can also in some senses destroy the character of the very building you are trying to preserve. Those who think the solution is easy are severely underestimating the project requirements.
I’d love to see this old beauty restored to its former glory, but I ‘m not sure I see it happening.
Mark Neal
3 Mar 2012Nice shot and write up, Mark. I saw the same thing happening in St Louis a few years ago. Usually, the old downtown buildings were replaced with the more modern, sometimes ugly towers.
Mark Neal recently posted..HDR – Weeds to Rhododendron
Toad Hollow Photography
5 Mar 2012I am so loving this series of yours Mark. Great architecture captured in almost a photo-journalist manner; the results are all truly amazing and I love each piece you post and share.
Toad Hollow Photography recently posted..The Cow Cafe
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