By Zach Patberg
Renovation of the Forest Hills World's Fair centerpiece, slated to become a Jewish community center, has sparked protests from some preservationists that the construction has been far too callous in handling the trademark facade of the 66-year-old relic.One group in particular, the Committee to Save the Trylon Theater, has come out against Katz, whom it says is siding with developers and resisting the idea of having the theater landmarked.The group points to damage inflicted on some of the Trylon's signature features since July, including that of an Art Deco ticket booth, hand-painted cloth murals and the mosaic-tiled floor.In her Jan. 11 letter, which was sent to Bob Tierney, chairman of the Landmarks Preservation Committee, and around 150 Trylon supporters, Katz said she has taken steps to ensure that the theater is protected but that preserving history while encouraging growth in the area is a balancing act.She said she reached an agreement with the center under which the theater's signature marquee and the crystal tower would remain intact and the Trylon name would stay lit up on Queens Boulevard.”I am dismayed, however, that protests and the dissemination of false information has obscured the fact that the preservation of the Trylon Theater has always been a component of building the new Education Center for Russian Jewry,” she wrote.Her office pointed out that a $200,000 allocation originally earmarked for the center's construction will instead be used for purchasing service equipment such as computers.As for landmarking, Katz has insisted the process starts with Tierney, whom she says has not contacted her office to discuss the issue. While this may be true, Tierney said the councilwoman's blessing is crucial for landmark passage since she is head of the City Council's Land Use Committee and would eventually vote on it in the Council.”I agree that the Trylon qualifies under all conditions as a New York City landmark,” Tierney said. “I request a note from Councilwoman Katz's office indicating her consent on a hearing and that she supports my landmarking notions, since Katz opposed (it) from the very beginning.”But Katz spokesman James McClelland said the councilwoman cannot approve of a landmarking without first seeing a package from the commission that includes input from community civic leaders, planners and historians.”It'd be like putting the horse before the cart, ” he said.Michael Perlman, the head of the Trylon advocacy committee who also received the letter, was not satisfied.”This is a key element of Queens and the World's Fair history and deserves to be treated with respect and ultimately designated an official landmark,” he said in an e-mail. “The bottom line is that Katz is supposed to serve the public (her community's interests” rather than her own interests and that of the developer.”Reach reporter Zach Patberg at news@timesledger.com or at 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
