: RKO @ Crossroads: Old Fight Gets New Life As Preservationists Work The Web

Our borough is laced with "Why bother?" stories. Civically active types, putting their own dime and time down to buck red tape, force a change or save an odd niche they adore are not uncommon. Head-scratchers they may be, their success rate isn't laughable.

And then there's the RKO Keith's theater in Flushing.

The dilapidated building has been an eyesore for decades, slowly crumbling long after its glory days as a performing arts hub ended.

The original effort to save the RKO was fueled by The Committee to Save the RKO Keith's of Flushing. The group spent more than 25 years filling out petitions, establishing a non-profit, researching, lobbying, and doing pretty much anything it possibly could to return the theatre to its past glory.

Their efforts quietly died down, as the RKO continued to languish.

A second group is slowly evolving into the theater's new champions. But unlike past efforts, its formation is rooted in the liquid digital world of social networking Web sites and e-mail blasts. It has garnered support that stretches across two continents.

A Lark and A Mouse Click

The group's founder Ed Tracey faced the attendees at Friends of The RKO Keith's Flushing's inaugural meeting. He constantly reminded all how happy he was with the turnout. None of this was expected.

A stand-up comic under the employ of a club in San Francisco, the whole idea came up haphazardly.

"The owner of the club I work for was looking to buy a new club and we were thinking of spots," Tracey said. "Then he turned to me and said, 'What theater did you used to go to as a kid?' I immediately thought, 'Oh, the Keith's!'"

The 43-year-old Flushing native grew up around the block from the RKO, habitually spending days soaking in movies while only paying to see one. When he left the City in 1990 the theater was still in respectable shape. But 19 years have changed things a bit.

Tracey was aware of its current dilapidated state and spotted the theatre often on his visits back home. But a twinge of nostalgia kicked in, as well as some curiosity.

On Feb. 9, with little prompting, he formed a group on Facebook, "Save The RKO Keith's Flushing," its name suitably a plea and rallying cry.

"I thought, 'Why not start on Facebook a group of people who appreciate the RKO?" he said.

Tracey invited old friends and others he thought might be interested. To put it mildly, the group exploded. Its ranks climbed up to the hundreds and reached 1,000 members in less than a month.

"Here we are, 3,000 miles away from Flushing and all of this is happening," he said.

A 25-year Holy Cross High School Reunion would bring him back to Flushing in early March, so he rented out the Parish Hall of St. John Vianney for two hours on March 7, shelling out cash and keeping his fingers crossed.

He sent out a message to the group members, letting them know of the meeting and its agenda; 63 said they would attend and 173 gave a "maybe."

So on a sunny Saturday morning, Tracey stood before the 21 attendees and again, expressed his disbelief that people came at all.

"Let me just tell you, I'm glad anyone even showed up. This is great," he said with all semblance of New York roots gone from his voice, replaced by a rough drawl brought on by California cool and military life. "But I'm not going to spin my wheels here if I know nothing will happen."

Lessons Of The Old Guard And New Allies

Flanking Tracey was Jerry Rotondi, a member and de facto leader of the Committee to Save the RKO Keith's of Flushing. The group was the previous incarnation of the gathering of 40-somethings before him.

Sporting a camouflage hat and plaid shirt, he shared the stories of a grizzled veteran who has seen this all before. He tossed out tips.

"The politicians will yes you, but you have to squeeze them anyway."

He strung together a few rallying cries:

"There's money for two stadiums, so don't tell me there is no money."

And practical wisdom:

"The economy is bad, but that just means the work would be cheaper."

Rotondi has refused to take an active role in the new group, but he has become Tracey's mentor.

"He did a lot of the leg work and he's had a lot of experience," Tracey said. "He's my conscience."

Also on hand was Orlando Lopes of The Theatre Historical Society of America, who provided ideas like creating an A&E Special to garner attention.

"All of the people that were there were just trying to see if this can take off," Lopes said after the meeting. "But it's burned into the minds of people that lived there. Will they support it if the theater reopens?"

Miles To Cover, Memories To Share

The inaugural meeting ended with a promise to keep in touch, and has since become a running conversation via e-mail and Facebook.

The group itself has bubbled up to 1,347 members as of printing. They read like a "Where are they now?" list of Flushing natives, reaching as far out as Germany and California. Distance doesn't dampen the fervor. It's strong enough to lead some, like Michelle Delaney, to drive up from North Carolina to attend the first meeting.

"We are all Flushing natives," Delaney said. "We passionately remember the beauty of that theater and are acting on our fondness of the place."

The group's message boards have developed a distinct air of nostalgia with pages worth of memories (the most common being Star Wars' initial screening). Members have also posted a collection of personal photos they have of themselves in the RKO and other shots of its interior.

The attendees and others have gelled around a slew of emails, and that's the magic potion, according to those involved.

"Everyone is on the same page with the information provided," Delaney said. "We're banking on the fact that the internet can be used as a networking tool. Things are moving much faster."

But the number of supporters doesn't necessarily translate into steadfast volunteers.

"Taking it from a group of well-wishers on Facebook to something legitimate, that's been the hardest part," Tracey said. "We're finding people who offer support but when you ask them for help, they're busy. And I understand, we all have lives and jobs and I have four kids myself so it's been hard. Right now we're just a bunch of people with good ideas."

The Long, Fast Road Ahead

Evolution has been quick for the group, and Tracey said big things are in store.

He has already been in touch with the theater's current owners, Boymelgreen Developers. It wasn't until the group garnered media attention that they called him back.

"A broker called me saying the asking price is $24 million," Tracey said. "I'm not sure if he's with the developer or what, but at least we have a number."

Quite a hefty number. The group has floated the idea of philanthropists and famous faces supporting the theater's rejuvenation as well as just old fashioned fundraising.

Friends of RKO Keith's Theater just landed on Councilman John Liu's (D-Flushing) radar. Himself a proponent of fixing the eyesore, he immediately supported their efforts.

"Sounds like a great group to me. I'd be most interested in meeting with them," he said, before diving into a pool of nostalgia over seeing "Star Wars" at the RKO. "With the economy in the shape it's in, this may be a golden opportunity. My suggestion would be to fundraise to death."

For Tracey, the numbers could possibly add up.

"It's a long shot, but say we get the group up to 200,000 members. And they donate $100, or get others to donate the same, we could meet the price," he said.

For now, the committee is building a Web site, gaining attention on the internet and looking for an attorney to represent their planned nonprofit 501(c) 3 pro bono.

But Tracey's goals are of a much shorter order for now.

"We're just trying to get a little bit of credibility here," he said.