Ask the Mayor to use the power of his office to breathe life back into 2626 Broadway.

The Upper West Side’s Historic Metro Theater has been vacant for over a decade. This architectural gem was and could be a lively gathering place. With right architect with the right mandate and the right funding this relatively small building could once again become the life of the neighborhood.

Sadly, this theater has been gutted, but imagine the building in the hands of MoMA with a bookstore where the lobby once stood and/or a rooftop cafe.

Owner Albert Bialek has been approached by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. In June 2020, he told West Side Rag that he was gearing up to do SOMETHING with the building. Would he consider donating or selling the building to NYC or MoMA?

In 2018, I Love the Upper West Side reported there was hope for UWS’s fans of the 85 year old theater. Deborah Rosenberg had a great vision and started a GoFundMe page, but lost heart and gave the money back in 2019. The imagination, good taste and deep pockets of NYC Mayor’s Office and/or MoMA have what it takes to do justice to this community asset. It’s a shame to let this landmark deteriorate.

This petition is to ask the Mayor (who has an ex-officio seat on the board of MoMA) to use the great powers of the Mayor’s Office to bring the Upper West Side’s Art Deco theater back in a beautiful way.

We are a gifted and talented community.  Let’s come together with our love of the arts and architecture and reimagine this gutted landmark as a beautiful gathering place for young and old in the 21st Century.