From DNA Info:
The building housing a long-time and prominent Rego Park synagogue is slated for demolition, raising fears that the congregation, which has more than 1,000 people, will have no place to go.
The worries came despite assurances from new landlord Rudolf Abramov of Trylon LLC that the displacement of Ohr Natan Synagogue would be temporary and the congregation will be allowed back once the new building is completed.
The news also comes after the congregation poured more than $2 million into a 4-year-long renovation of the historic former Art Deco Trylon Theatre.
The group's rabbi, Nahum Kaziev, said he fears that despite the developers' pledge, the congregation may not be allowed to return.
Kaziev also said the displacement during the construction period would last a couple of years.
"Where are we going to be in the meantime? On the street?," said Kaziev. “It’s unbelievable, it’s a shame."
The 25,000-square-foot property, located on a triangle-shaped lot between Queens Boulevard, 99th Street and 66th Avenue, was sold in December 2012, for $9 million, according to Eugene Kim from Massey Knakal, a real estate company, which facilitated the sale.
It was sold in 2012? I found a blog post about it, but no press release. Interesting that all media outlets would fail to pick up this February news story about such a controversial property. Who exactly did Massey Knakal send it out to...or did they "forget" to send it out?
Anyway, I don't feel sorry for the congregation at all. They could have had a permanent home. But they instead chose to lobby Melinda Katz for funding to destroy historical aspects of it as well as to deny landmark status for the building. Why couldn't preservation be part of the plan? Because they just HAD TO destroy the historic mosaics in front of the place and cinderblock up the entrance. So they are about to get exactly what's coming to them.
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