PARK SLOPE — The saga of the Pavilion Theater could have a major plot twist in the next act.
The owner of Williamsburg's Nitehawk Cinema says he would love to take over the Pavilion after its new owners renovate it.
“I’ve always been interested in the Pavilion, even in its current state,” Nitehawk owner Matthew Viragh told DNAinfo New York. “It’s been somewhat neglected, but I've always thought if we could get a hold of it we could do great things.”
Viragh first approached the Pavilion's owners around the time he opened Nitehawk, the popular Metropolitan Avenue movie theater where cinephiles dine on gourmet food and booze during screenings.
Nothing came of those talks, but Viragh spoke again to the Pavilion's new owners, Hidrock Realty, after news broke that they plan to renovate the Pavilion and construct a five-story condo building next door.
"We reached out when we heard about the new development plans, [but] they're not in tenant mode yet," Viragh said. "They're trying to get the building through the [city approvals] process."
A Hidrock spokesman confirmed that Nitehawk is one of several contenders to take over the Pavilion, but that the developer won't make a decision until after the development gets the approvals it needs to move forward.
“Nitehawk is absolutely under very serious consideration,” spokesman Ethan Geto said. “Hidrock thinks they would do a great job.”
The Pavilion is in Park Slope's historic district, so the Landmarks Preservation Commission has to sign off on any development there. The condos and theater renovation will also need a zoning variance that must be OKed by the city's Board of Standards and Appeals.
The LPC recently asked Hidrock to tweak its plans after locals raised concerns about the look of the new building.
A new operator for the Pavilion would likely be a significant upgrade for the theater. The multiplex draws crowds from across Brooklyn for blockbusters, but it's battled several problems in recent years.
The theater fought bed bug rumors in 2011, and a lack of heating forced customers to chill out during screenings in 2013. Recent online reviews have complained of malfunctioning air conditioning and dirty theaters.
Viragh has made other forays outside of Williamsburg — he recently bought a commercial building in Bushwick that he plans to rent out.
