... that theatre owners were complicit in the destruction of these 5 theatres for the Marriott. Bankers Trust owned the Morosco. I don;t know who owned the Hayes at the end, but Lester Osterman operated both the Hayes and Morosco. The Bijou was also lost. Teh Astor and Gaiety had been brutally converted to cinemas before demolition - but could have been saved - as could the Times Square and Liberty theatres today. The ginormous Portman hotel, built by the Mormon owned Marriott chain, could have been as easily built on the block between 47th and 48th streets - a block derelict then as now - the former DeMille Movie Theatre.
Sure, the Hotel would have been on the North east corner of Times Square, rather than right on it - but 5 theatres would have been saved. But neither theatre owners nor the City of New York cared a fig. As they didn't care when New 42 allowed half of the theatres they were meant to preserve to be demolished. In meetings it has become clear that New 42, a quasi city agency, has no interest in offers that would lead to the Liberty and Times Square becoming 900-1000 seat Broadway theatres again. |
