Royal Theater (Philadelphia)
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Royal Theater | |
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| Location | 1524–1534 South St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 39°56′37″N 75°10′6″W / 39.94361°N 75.16833°WCoordinates: 39°56′37″N 75°10′6″W / 39.94361°N 75.16833°W |
| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1919 |
| Architect | Hahn,Frank E. |
| Architectural style | Regency Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 80003619[1] |
| Added to NRHP | February 08, 1980 |
The Royal Theater was a center of African American culture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built in 1919, the theater closed in 1970, after attendance dwindled and the threat of the Crosstown Expressway had decimated the neighborhood. (The proposed highway was never built.)
In 2000, Kenny Gamble’s Universal Companies purchased the Royal, 1522 and 1536 South, buildings on either side of the theater, as well as 1523, 1537 and 1539 Kater St. (the narrow street just south of South) and 1521–1523 South St. (across the street), from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia for $250,000.[2]
Conservancy Lawsuit
In April 2013 Universal Companies applied for a demolition permit claiming the renovation was "economically unfeasible." Universal's proposal would preserve only the facade and a small portion of the front for culture use while the remaining property would be developed for commercial use.[3] On May 20, 2013 local Philadelphia resident Juan Levy filed in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas a petition seeking to appoint local real estate developer Ori Feibush as conservator over the property to save it from further deterioration. [4]
References
- ↑ Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ↑ "Kenny Gamble's stewardship of Royal Theater dragged area down, neighbors say". Philadelphia Daily News. 2013-07-09. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
- ↑ Kerkstra, Patricia (May 30, 2013). "Universal seeks OK to demolish most of Royal Theater". PlanPhilly. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
- ↑ "Royally Huge Act 135 Case Launched Against Owner of Royal Theater". Philadelinquency.com. 2013-05-28. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
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