The developer that wants to build apartments on the site of the former Kimball Theater at 1219 Yonkers Ave. in Yonkers has gone back to the city”™s Planning Board with a new application since the approval under the old application expired in October. Approvals for the project that were granted by the city”™s Zoning Board of Appeals do not expire until July 23, 2023.
“As the applicant cannot be granted another year on extension, the current application is before the Planning Board seeking approval for the construction of a 266 residential apartment building with parking together with 1,600 sq. ft. of ground level retail space,” Attorney James L. Veneruso of the Yonkers law firm Veneruso, Curto, Schwartz & Curto LLP said.
There would be 14 floors for apartments and five floors of parking with 278 parking spaces. The garage would be located below the building and have two access points, one from Bronx River Road and the other from Crescent Place. The entry lobby for residents would connect directly with Yonkers Avenue. The main lobby would include a resident lounge, fitness and recreational center, small business center, and building services. There also would be apartments on the lobby level.
Veneruso said that the project has faced challenges since obtaining initial approval in October 2020 that have included increases in material costs, increases in labor costs, the effects of recession and changes in financial institution underwriting criteria.
“These challenges currently make it much more difficult for developers to secure financing,” Veneruso said. He asked that the Planning Board approvals be granted for a two-year period.
The Kimball Theatre originally opened in 1937 and had 700 seats. It was created at a cost of more than $100,000 in a building that formerly held a shirt factory, movie studio and skating rink. The opening night program included “That Girl From Paris” starring Lily Pons and Gene Raymond, “Wanted, Jane Turner” starring Gloria Stuart and Lee Tracy, a newsreel and short subjects.
It operated successfully as a neighborhood theater for about four decades, typically running double features. In the mid-1970s, it operated under the name The Movies. With increasing competition from modern cinemas elsewhere in Yonkers, it eventually closed and was used for awhile as a furniture store.
In 2004, a three-alarm fire broke out that extensively damaged the former theater and adjacent storefronts. In 2010, there was another fire that added to the destruction. In 2017, what remained was torn down.
The developer is the entity 1219 Yonkers Ave., LLC. It has named the project The Kimball Residences.
