Can the rundown Loew's Theater at 31 Canal Street make a comeback? Originally opened in 1927, it was run by Loew's until the 1960s. It then became an indie-run theater until 1980. Now, the NY Post reports, it may have another lease on life, as an Asian-American arts group (CREATE: the Committee to Revitalize and Enrich the Arts and Tomorrow's Economy) hopes to revive it.
The 2,300-seat theater has been sealed off, but now the arts group has the backing of building owner Thomas Sung to move forward with their plan for a cultural arts center. On top of Sung's support, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. gave the group a $150,000 grant to study the project, with another $140,000 promised for planning.
The theater, aside from being stripped of its seats, is still in good shape with the its ornate terra cotta design intact. City Councilmember Alan Gerson told the Villager: “It would be the first theater opening in Chinatown in over a generation, probably several generations. It’ll bolster the arts and culture of Chinatown and it will also bolster the economy.”
