A movie theater that entertained Bensonhurst until blight reduced it to rubble is now showing a mystery.
Real-estate brokers are taking offers for a vacant lot on Bay Parkway that was once home to the Marboro Cinema, but no one knows what kind of building will replace the former multiplex.
Zoning laws will allow developers to build almost anything on the half-block lot: apartments, offices, shops, or even another movie theater, according to broker Jeffrey Shalom.
“Commercial, residential or mixed-use can be built there,” Shalom said. “There is an opportunity to build the largest new retail store in the neighborhood. This is what makes the property so unique. … There is no other development site in the community where such a building can be built.”
The Marboro captivated audiences on the corner West Ninth Street for 75 years until it dimmed its lights for the last time in 2002. Squatters soon took over the building, and it remained a neighborhood headache until it was torn down last year. Now, neighbors are eager for any development.
“More shopping would be nice,” said Rina Zuppardi. “It would be good if they opened a clothing store because there’s not much of that down here.”
“I just hope they build something,” added Aleksey Strogach. “The way it is now is no good for anybody.”
Developers can build as high as seven-stories at the site, according to Shalom, who expects the lot to sell for $11–$15 million.
