Under the Radar on 25th Street

I always thought it would be cool to buy that and fix it up to be a cool small venue movie theatre.

@Joshua Bilder, you indicate that revealing your plans requires a more formal setting, so you must have some details in place. Can we get a time frame?

And btw, the purchaser got it for an awesome price.

Awesome! In all honesty, I’ll be glad to see anything move in there. That old “broken window” theory et al.

“interesting and creative” eh? Surely this must mean…The King’s Retreat is coming to 25th!

Broken window theory is basically that if little things are allowed to remain unfixed then it makes the neighborhood appear to not care so it invites worse problems. Popularized by Rudy Giuliani in NYC I believe. NYC made a concerted effort to fix up small problems to make residents start to care about their neighborhood more and saw a drop in crime as a result.

I used to go to that theatre all the time as a child. What is the possibility to fix it up and make it a real theatre again?

East End Theater 418-420 N 25th Street

I am not sure how this slipped under my radar. Apparently on January 7, 2010 the old East End Theater building was foreclosed on and sold for $45,000 to a group that developed the Sterling Row Condominiums in Shockoe Bottom – a company called Sterling Bilder LLC. But as of February last year they had promised to put a roof on the building to help stabilize it by years end but still remains open. Joshua Bilder, VP came from New York over 10 years ago and had an eye on this property ever since. (note…see his post above)

Back in 2006, then co-owner Katherine Wilder, daughter of the real owners Gail and Earl Johnson (Gail was on the committee board at MCV), had gutted the building out to convert into a private business and living space for herself but that never materialized. Then a couple years later there was talk of a upscale wine and cheese shop opening there but parking (and cost) were issues. This new owner is still in planning stages but one possibility on the table is reopening it as a theater. I complained back in 2006 wondering why they would completely gut the building out down to bare walls, dirt floors and open roof removing all indications inside (other than the projection booth area and ticket booth) that it was ever a theater leaving future developers to reinvent the wheel? Whatever is decided on won’t materialize for another 2 years and cost anywhere between $750,000-$800,000. Watershed Architects were supposed to have been hired to design a roof.

In any case, the property jumped from assessed value of $80k in 2009 to $112k in 2010, go figure. I also found it odd that the building was originally under the parents name until the deed was transferred over to the daughter in 2006 and then back to the parents on January 4, 2010 – only 3 days before foreclosure.

The theater’s exterior is a bit understated for an Art Deco style, designed by Henry Carl Messerschmidt (1891-1994) who also drafted the Lee (now Grace Street) and Bellevue theaters as well as other more ornate facades in Richmond. Messerschmidt graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1915 and practiced architecture in Richmond from 1915 through 1958. He designed a large variety of structures, including banks, church buildings, factories, office buildings, residences, and stores. He died in Richmond at the age of 103 on January 10, 1994 and buried at Oakwood.

The 850 seat theater was opened in 1938 and closed in 1970 and remained empty the past 40 years. Parking would remain an issue as the parking area off the south wall that now is occupied by the post office and lounge building, wasn’t there when it was built and I am sure on-street parking for 800 people would be a nightmare and not permitted by zoning.

Planning director Rachel Flynn was in the loop with the developers when this first started but has since resigned. I asked Sam Patterson about the status of this and he said Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille is now in talks but won’t know their intent for another 3 weeks. I had no problem getting McQuinn to answer a phone or email, even on weekends but it is impossible to get Newbille to do the same. It is easier to get an audience with her than phoning!

Eric

Oh… and they have to “design” a roof? It is flat, what is there to design unless they plan on yet another Dr. Frankenbuilding f-up modern roof attached to a historic building aka Dave Johannas. I as well as many are puzzled how these type of roofs (and attachments) can be allowed by CAR guidelines for Old and Historic since they obviously do not fit into the local design structure. No building near by has anything similar to what has gone up on other Johannas designed buildings so hopefully this one will be spared the mishmash parts added.

#14 Harold M.

You were correct. The two were seperate buildings. Looking at a 1938 Hill’s City Directory, page 1466 shows the Patrick Henry Teater at 404 N 25th while the East End Theater at 418-422 N 25th.

I also saw elsewhere with various building permits that either the Patrick Henry started off as the Roosevelt Theater or the name changed mid-stream. A 1933 steel frame structure permit at 406 N 25th was issued to P&G Corp of Fredericksberg, VA who also owned the East End Theater and had plans drawn up in 1936 and 1937 for it.

I have the permit numbers and hope Monday to track down the blueprints so we can see what it was supposed to look like.

Eric

As much as I would love to see this building restored as a theater, an apartment building will benefit the neighborhood by adding population density to an area that desperately needs more residents to support all of the new businesses popping up. An apartment building would also bring life to an area of N. 25th street that is more or less dead. I would love to see a concept plan…

I seem to recall that Mr. Bilder presented recently came up with a plan, and presented something to the Church Hill Association’s zoning committee about apartments. The building is now zoned into an urban business district and does not require parking, but he was proposing around thirty apartments. I’m not sure but I think he said he was looking for off-street parking even though he wasn’t required to provide it, because the urban business district is meant to have ‘walk to’ destinations thus does not require parking…again, going on memory because I’m too lazy at the moment to go look up past CHA newsletters and post a link to the appropriate one. I think this was pretty recently, like May or June 2011, that I saw the minutes in the newsletter. Hopefully someone more enterprising than me will go find those minutes in the CHA newsletter. Or tomorrow I’ll have more energy. Anyway I do think he is moving forward.

I’d like to thank all of you for your support as I move forward on this project. All I can tell you is that I’m diligently pursuing this project. Whatever I decide to build there will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood and will only improve the neighborhood asthetic. I share Mayor Jones and Councilwoman Newbille’s vision and enthusiasm for the 25th Street Coridor. I’m looking positively toward the future of Churchill and Richmond at large.

Mr. Builder will say what you want to hear…but don’t count on it being the truth. He’s all about the money. You already see that the roof isn’t on, while its been sitting there getting worse. If it is going to be preserved….start preserving it!!! Let’s just say that what is happening is typical of him…so stop believing…until you see a work crew on site.

Mr. Bilder… then, why has there been zero activity to stabilize a hollow shell of a building that sits within feet of a residence? And houses nothing but weeds and wildlife including rodants? And the “required” roof has never been added? A year has already past since this original post above!

Eric

I agree that the city should get involved. It continues to be an eyesore. How can anything take this long? If he had his eye on it for so long, did he not already have idea of what he was buying it for? What’s the secrecy? Out of money? Can’t get a loan? Then sell it to someone who will not move at a snails pace! We live in the area and are sick of looking at it on a daily basis!

When, Mr. Biilder, when?

Mr. Bilder, you know what would get us even more supportive than plans? Actually doing something to it…

What day can we expect the work crews to come?

Maybe it’s because the City is involved with approvals and they only have urgency when it’s a cemetery where no one has ever found a body. Or maybe it’s because some neighbors want an unfunded theater vaguely proposed for a different location a block away to have the parking instead of this. Just blindly guessing here.

All I can say is that back on May 21, 2008…inspector George Marcoyiannakis had started proceedings for demolition approval due to deficiencies especially after the owners failed to show cause or even show up in court after being given summons. Here is his response a few days later some 4-years ago!

“I have had no contact what so ever from anyone about this building other than you. The only thing for me to do since there appears to be no concern of what happens to this building is to tear it down. It surpasses all criteria for demolition from the missing roof down to the soil mechanics from exposed earth, so this will be the final step for a permanent resolution. I am sorry I couldn’t have the building saved and repaired.”

At that time Katherine Wiley and her parents the Johnson’s who had some clout with the city, stepped in and eventually had this stopped. But still, this did not settle the matter since afterwards there were “orders” by the city to have the roof replaced but again, that never came about. I can pull those orders up too.

In other words we have seen this structure sit in its current deteriorating state for many years and absolutely zero has been done one way or another on it and why believe that anything will be done given the track record?

And yes, there are parking issues. As I have said many times over, these neighborhood businesses were built in an era where people had only one car per family or non and took public transportation so parking wasn’t an issue. But I know plans to convert the historic 401 N 27th building from a Laundromat to Restaurant was dashed because zoning required due to the change of use, 13 OFF STREET parking spaces within 300-feet of the building and there was nothing available for that and the city would not budge. It is only fair to the residents for off street parking under the circumstances since many times if you come home later than 6pm, you have to fight to find something remotely close to your front door!

I would love to see this theater rebuilt! In all honesty, I don’t see it happening. I grew up in Churchill (south of Broad) and used to visit the post office next door regularly. On occasion I would try to sneak into the theater but I’m pretty sure there are some sketchy animals living in there. Everything that moves into this part of town never seems to make it. There was an amazing little bakery down the block from here that has since gone. I promised myself when I was 12 that I would one day rebuild this theater. Once I make my millions (ha) I will come back to Richmond and restore the gem. In the meantime, I’ll just pass by on Christmas vacation and look on with a smile 🙂

heaven forbid!! someone is going to turn this rat-infested pile of rubble into a productive use?? let’s keep it as a dangerous rust heap for another 20 years in case someone wants to rebuild the movie theater!

Samantha #41, the bakery is gone because it moved to Carytown, (okay, there were some issues back then, but hopefully we’ve moved past that era), and then about four years ago the wife of the baker got transferred to St. Louis, so they left town. He was planning on starting another bakery in St. Louis but i haven’t heard from them.

#42 – I hope not. I’m really tired of the insufficient parking problems with Parks’ apts.

Get ready for something truly awful once Bilder gets his CAR seat and Johannas shows him how it’s done.

No takers on a follow-up as to what is happening with the building now? I see there are permits and the building use is stated as a “theater without a stage” so wonder if he is now converting the building back to a movie theater?

Based on the permit description and cost, my guess is the work is strictly putting band aids on this festering turd so it doesn’t fall in on itself or kill someone.

When you see a “building use” description it is usually the intended use. From what we gathered the last known use was for condos and it threw me to see it described as a theater without a stage 🙂

Yes, he is putting up new boards in the window and painting the exterior brick color (eventually) but that doesn’t place a roof on the building that was to have been done years ago according to the city.

It looks like Mr. Bilder has decided to go with an application for multiple variances which include 39 apartments and a commercial space. That’s the current plan.

I second the sculptor’s enthusiasm for 2211 E. Clay. I was driving through Carver the other day admiring the green roof over the porch of one of Builder’s buildings there, and I marvelled at the negative reception he’s recieved in our neighborhood when he has demonstrated such good work elsewhere.