‘High End’ Theater Proposed For Former Flatiron Limelight Nightclub

FLATIRON DISTRICT, NY - The former Limelight nightclub in the Flatiron District may get a second act thanks to a pair of Broadway veterans aiming to convert the space into a “high-end” theater on Sixth Avenue.

Applicant Roadside Attractions LLC presented its case for a 360-seat off Broadway theater at 47 West 20th St. before the district's Community Board 5 last month. The theater is set to feature ground-floor indoor ticketing, multiple bars and nighttime musicals, plays and other productions inside a 21,000-square-foot entertainment space.

The project is backed by Broadway producer Hunter Arnold and director Michael Arden (of Hadestown and Parade, respectively) and is designed by Marvel Architects, the same architects behind the the Bronx Museum of Art, the National Black Theater and the Lyric Theater.

“This is going to be a Broadway-style legitimate theater,” attorney Donald Bernstein said during the Nov. 1 Community Board 5 meeting. “They’ve been quite notable and putting in some high-end legitimate theater performances that I think will actually be a benefit to the community.”

The applicant is also pushing to host private daytime events and operate until 1 a.m. daily, including weekdays. The facade of the building will be preserved and there won’t be a designated outdoor space for theater patrons, Roadside Attractions reps noted.

“We believe that this is the most beautiful building in Manhattan and we think it’s a shame that it’s not being used,” Scott Moore, marketing director for Arnold, said at the meeting. “What we’d like to do is create a cultural destination in the Flatiron [District] where we can present high quality entertainment for the enjoyment of residents and for people who want to come in.”

But despite developers’ enthusiasm, not everyone seemed to be on board with the vision of a buzzy arts hub on 20th Street. During the meeting, community board members cited residents' concerns over rowdy late night patrons, excess garbage, moving sets and traffic congestion on the 20th Street block.

“There’s a lot of liquor licenses on the block, many of whom have not been good neighbors in the past, and the residents have had a long history of having to deal with disruptions to quality of life,” one board member said, noting the “poor accountability” of other nightlife operators nearby.

While the board argued the application deviates from standard community board guidelines — which demand weekday closing times of midnight, a full kitchen and no more than 4,000 square feet of space — Bernstein rebuted the space will be different than a restaurant or club, and should be considered under the appropriate guidelines.

The theater already commissioned a sound study, security plan and sound study and won’t have a bright marquee to disturb neighbors, Moore added. One security guard will also be stationed for every 75 patrons.

Floor plans have also been revised from earlier plans to allow for a patron entrance along Sixth Avenue to prevent street-level congestion; ticketing on ground floor inside to avoid the same issue. Only ticket holders will be able to purchase food and alcohol and transparent contact information for neighbors, the community board added.

Citing missing language in the applicant's proposal — including how neighbors can contact theater officials, mandate exiting patrons to funnel onto Sixth Avenue, set up ride share locations in clear directions, and request the neighboring landlord to enforce Grimaldi’s adequate use of sidewalk space — the community board denied the application for now.

Community board officials are slated to amend the proposal with the finer details addressing residents' concerns at a later date.

The infamous site, originally built in 1845 as an Episcopal church and later used for a drug rehabilitation nonprofit, opened as the Limelight in 1983. The disco quickly rose to popularity and was even frequented by the likes of Madonna and RuPaul.

Following a series of closings and re-openings in the late 1990s, the club was rebranded as the Avalon, which closed in 2007.