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Kew Gardens Movie Theater Going Green with Rooftop Solar Panels

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | September 29, 2014 8:43am
 Kew Gardens Cinemas, at 81-05 Lefferts Blvd., near Austin Street, is currently installing several solar panels on its rooftop.
Kew Gardens Cinemas, at 81-05 Lefferts Blvd., near Austin Street, is currently installing several solar panels on its rooftop.
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DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — Kew Gardens Cinemas may be eight decades old, but the theater is at the forefront of the latest environmental trend.

The art deco indie flick venue, at 81-05 Lefferts Blvd., near Austin Street, is currently installing several solar panels on its rooftop. 

The solar panels will cover about 6,000 square feet of the building's roof, owner Harvey Elgart said in an email Friday.

Energy produced by the panels will be used to power lights and movie projectors at the six-screen theater, according to its representative. It was not clear how many of the projectors would be powered by the panels.

The panels should be operational in about two to three weeks, Elgart said. The project is the latest in the theater's green initiatives, he added.

“We have always used energy-efficient lighting inside theater and are converting marquee lighting to LED from fluorescent,” Elgart added.

The theater, which was built in the 1930s, is a popular hangout in the neighborhood.  At one point in its history, it served as a porn theater, according to the theater's website.

Elgart also owns Williamsburg Cinemas and Cobble Hill Cinemas, where he has recently installed solar panels as well.