Heights Cinema Owner Interview in Eagle

By on December 9, 2014 3:56 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Real Estate

The Brooklyn Heights Cinema has not died. It exists, in the form of a digital projector, some seats, and sundry items, in storage. Its hoped-for re-opening, if and when it happens, will likely be somewhere outside, but not too far from, the Heights. Interviewed by Matthew Taub of Brooklyn Brief and published in the Eagle, Cinema owner Kenn Lowy tells of the frustration he’s encountered to date seeking a new venue. He also takes the Brooklyn Heights Association and others to task for opposing plans for a new building at the Cinema’s old location that would have included space for a one screen movie house.

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  • Andrew Porter

    The Eagle discussion shows a guy who impulsively bought the place, despite not having any money, and no expertise or knowledge. Not a reassuring experience for any investor. This building, when I first moved to BH, was a hardware store.

  • Roberto Gautier

    Despite Kenn’s lack of cash and direct experience in the movie house world, I feel that he did a great job. Now, we have an empty space and we’re waiting for another condo. Will there be a hardware store in the new space?

  • Kenn Lowy

    Actually Andrew, it shows that a guy who loved the cinema and had good business sense was able to keep it alive for three years. I negotiated for 9 months. I wanted to save the Brooklyn Heights Cinema. That’s not impulsive. But thanks for your thoughts, especially “no expertise or knowledge”. Let me know when you’d like to get together and I can tell you about my knowledge and expertise in this field.

  • WS Gilbert

    We will get more condos! How can anybody be opposed to that?

    Let’s see, we’ve lost a hospital, a cinema and a world-class view of the Brooklyn Bridge and possibly a library.

    Do we really need Cadman Plaza Park now that we have Brooklyn Bridge Park? That’s a lot of prime land that could be put to use by real estate developers and think of all the money that could be made. Real estate shills are you ready for the Cadman Park Condo campaign?

  • WOW

    Was a good interview. Theatre aside, I dont understand why the BHA turned that building down — it was very nice looking, though a bit Williamburgy. That said, look at the crap they approved on Pinapple Street next door to Vineapple — that place is terrible. I think all developers need to understnad that if you are going to build here, it needs to look like a giant 1800s brownstone/rowhouse in order to get approval…

  • ujh

    And you know what, WS Gilbert? The site of Cadman Plaza and Walt Whitman Parks have been zoned R-7 ever since they were created.

  • ujh

    Kenn, you did a fantastic job – although I should have patronized the Brooklyn Heights Cinema a lot more than I did, but at least I participated in crowd sourcing.

  • WS Gilbert

    It might only be a matter of time then.

  • AEB

    Duane Reade….

  • Andrew Porter

    I think you give the BHA a lot more power than they actually have. I’m sure the Community Board and, most importantly, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, had lots of input—and decision making!—than you assume.

  • Andrew Porter

    Believe me, as the former award-winning editor and publisher of magazines and books, that I know how it is to have a lot of enthusiasm and not much money. I too stumbled from one crisis to another, never having the time or money to know which were the important things, which were minor.

    I believe the final blow for you was likely the need for switching to digital projection, the expense for which you were totally unprepared, This has been detailed by numerous reports in the media about so many other small, struggling movie houses.

    The double whammy was the sale of the building from out under you. Look at how many one or two story buildings here in BH have been replaced by larger structures, even with the no-higher-than-50-feet restrictions imposed by the LPC.

    Ironically, the structure on Pineapple Walk that now houses the Heights Casino extension was originally built as a movie house, to replace the one demolished when Robert Moses tore down so much here. It sat unused and empty for more than 30 years.

    The problem with the Eagle interview is that it was very sloppily edited. Could have been greatly tightened, eliminating “uh” and “errr” kind of comments, and could, and should, have been edited to make your position clearer.

  • Kenn Lowy

    Andrew: wrong again. The Community Board approved both plans. It was the BHA that opposed it.

  • Kenn Lowy

    Andrew: You might want to take a few minutes to go back and read the entire interview. Almost everything you wrote is wrong and for BHB readers who have been following the cinema for the past few years, yours is an amusing read.

  • Kenn Lowy

    These links should help to get you on your way to the facts (it always helps to do a fact check when you’re in publishing):

    http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn-heights-cinema-raises-32-000-fight-survive-article-1.1748819

    http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/66307

  • Eddyde

    Andrew, Ken has the digital projectors. I guess you didn’t actually read the interview.

  • Andrew Porter

    Did anyone read what I actually wrote? Where did I say he did not have the digital projectors? In fact, he could not afford them himself, used a crowd-funding source to raise the money.

    I am impressed how people are commenting on one or two things whereas I said much more. Commenters here are also violating the cardinal rules to 1. Wait 20 minutes before replying, and 2. Engage brain before placing hands on keyboard.

  • Andrew Porter

    And I wrote, “FORMER editor and publisher,” but you didn’t read my post carefully enough.

  • Kenn Lowy

    Andrew:this is simply not an area where you have any knowledge. I guess that’s why people are commenting.

  • Eddyde

    You wrote: “I believe the final blow for you was likely the need for switching to digital projection, the expense for which you were totally unprepared”
    That comment, aside from being fairly obnoxious, would lead most readers to believe you are implying; Ken was unable to overcome the expense of obtaining the digital projectors, ultimately leading to the cinemas downfall, Which simply is not true.
    You violate cardinal rule #2:
    Proofread what you have written and try to imagine how a reader will interpret or misinterpret what you have written.

  • Eddyde

    Kenn, Thank you for all your effort in trying to save a valuable asset to the neighborhood. The fact that you were able to accomplish what you did with little resource is commendable. I wish you the best in finding a new home for the cinema.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    More like an award winning pompous blowhard.

  • Andrew Porter

    I am sorry if my remarks on this thread offended you. Believe me, I’ve thought long and hard about possible venues for a new theatre, but alas never found any possible solutions. I’m happy for the years you put into operating the Heights Cinema, which, after the previous owner turned it into bubble-gum city, became such a pivotal entertainment hub for BH. I wish you well in the future, and hope your dreams come true!