Brooklyn's Paramount Theater to Be Restored This Fall

If you’ve ever seen a basketball game at LIU Brooklyn, you might’ve noticed that the facility’s ceiling isn’t one you’d normal find in a sports arena. That’s because that building used to function as a performance space. For all you architectural buffs out there, you’ll be happy to know that this space — the historic Paramount Theater — is going to be restored.

What is the Paramount Theater?

The Paramount Theater was a performance venue that opened in 1928 and closed in 1962, after hosting huge music names, such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Since closing,  LIU Brooklyn has used the theater as a basketball facility.

Who is restoring the Paramount Theater?

LIU Brooklyn is partnering with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment — the group who controls the Barclay Center — to restore the Paramount.

What are the plans for the Paramount Theater restoration?

The space will close for two years this fall while renovations are being done. The plans include putting in 1,500 new seats (the original theater held 3,000) and restoring many of the original details of the theater, including it’s stunning rococo ceiling and Wurlitzer organ.

What will the restored Paramount Theater be used for?

The campus hopes to host music, comedy, and boxing events in the restored theater and use the space as a venue for the new School of the Arts. LIU Brooklyn will also offer jobs and internships with the theater to students, especially those who major in management arts, performing arts, media arts, marketing, and operations.

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We are your source for structural inspections, mechanical inspections, civil inspections, and architectural inspections in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.

Film Studio Breaks Ground in the Bronx

If you head over to Soundview in the Bronx, you’ll probably notice construction happening in a lot off the Bruckner Expressway. That’s because, earlier this month, York Studios broke ground on a $100 million film studio. This project comes five years after they opened another studio in Maspeth, Queens.

What are the studio details?

The first phase of the film studio will build a 170,000 square-foot, $45 million facility that will have five sound stages — three 15,000 square-foot stages and two 18,000 square-foot stages. This is set to be complete and ready for use in October 2018. The following phase of construction will build large stages.

Why the Bronx?

York specifically wanted the studio to be located in the Bronx because of the borough’s proximity to Midtown, Queens, and Westchester. They believe that the area also offers great locations for offsite shoots due to its diverse architectural structures and culture.

What about jobs?

The studio is planning on bringing in over $100 million in tax revenue and provide 400 industry-related jobs as well as hundreds of construction jobs.

How does this benefits the Bronx?

Besides creating jobs, this film studio makes use of previously dormant space and offers hundreds of jobs in the area. Borough president Rubén Díaz Jr. believes that this project will continue the positive changes being made in Bronx communities.

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We are your source for structural inspections, mechanical inspections, civil inspections, and architectural inspections in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.

MoMA Completed First Phase of Renovations and Reveals Design Plans for Extensions

On June 1st, 2017, the Museum of Modern Art revealed its newly completed renovations of the east end of its campus while also revealing the full  Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Gensler collaborative design plans for a new expansion project to take place over the next few years.

What’s new in the MoMA?

The renovations, which began in February 2016, used 15,000 square feet of space to create two large galleries on the third floor which offer more flexibility when it comes to designing exhibits. The designs also extended the MoMA’s historic Bauhaus staircase to the ground  level, giving more access to the a new museum store and espresso bar that will allow visitors to view The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Gardens.

What will be the first exhibition to use the MoMa third floor?

An upcoming Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive exhibition opened on the third floor on June 12th and is schedule to closed October 1st. It features over 450 of Wright’s architectural drawings, models, films, and more and even includes pieces never before seen publicly.

What will the new expansion include?

The new design plans show that the upcoming MoMA expansion will add over 100,000 sq. ft. of space to the museum, half of which will be gallery space, and 22,000 sq.ft. of public space. The designs allows the museum to change the circulation path in order to achieve its goals of increasing gallery space, provide visitors with a more welcoming experience, and better connect to the urban fabric of midtown Manhattan.

For more updates on Manhattan architectural news, follow AMAA on Facebook and Twitter!

We are your source for structural inspections, mechanical inspections, civil inspections, and architectural inspections in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.

City Planning Commission Approves Midtown East Rezoning

There are millions of people who work in office buildings in Manhattan, in all different industry in different parts of the city. While the main hubs for office buildings have really been in the Financial District and Hudson Yard, the City Planning Commission has approved plans to rezone 78 blocks of Midtown East to allow for the creation of 6.5 million square feet of office space over the next 20 years. As of now, the rezoned area would run north to south between East 39th and East 57th and east to west between Third Avenue and  and Fifth Avenue.

Why a rezoning?

The city wants Manhattan to stay competitive as a business hub. Many of the current office buildings are over 75 years old, and officials are worried they won’t appeal to tenants, since the features tenants require are only able to be provided in new buildings. The revenue will also allow for the upkeep of landmarked buildings.

How does the NYC rezoning affect landmarked buildings?

The rezoning would allow landmarked buildings to sell their unused air rights if developers make and pay for transit improvements. The proposal would allow developers to use the air rights within a specified section of Midtown, not just in the area next to the landmarked building. However, the city would 20-40% of the sale proceeds.

Is everyone involved on-board for the rezoning?

Not exactly. The city and developers are a bit at odds over the idea for a few reasons. First off, landmarked buildings, such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral, don’t love the fact that the city would take such a big chunk of its profits. Developers think that the proposed minimum price on the air rights will hinder buyers from purchasing the space, and the Cathedral also shares that sentiment, thinking a lack of funding will occur because of the minimums.

We are your source for structural inspections, mechanical inspections, civil inspections, and architectural inspections in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.

Why Choose AMAA?

When you begin working on your NYC construction project, you will also start thinking about what agency you’re going to hire to provide your project with special inspections. So how do you decide which to choose? Besides the fact that we have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers in NYC, there are plenty of reasons why you should choose AMAA as your special inspections agency.

We are a NYC DOB Class 1 Inspection Agency and accredited by the IAS.

The International Accreditation Service (IAS) provides oversight to ensure that an agency functions at the highest level of ethical, legal, and technical standards. AMAA is an IAS-accredited, NYC DOB Class 1 Special Inspection Agency, meaning we can perform special inspections on any project in the city.

We provide the best service to our clients.

Our staff is always available to answer questions about the inspection of your new or ongoing projects. Our operations team works closely with your project team to ensure that the inspection schedule of your construction project always remains on track.

We are conveniently located.

Located in Midtown Manhattan, we can quickly process and return the DOB forms that require signature by our Director, a convenience that our clients and expeditors greatly appreciate.

We are your source for structural inspections, mechanical inspections, civil inspections, and architectural inspections in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.