Franklin Square Theater Project

**INFO UPDATE as of February 28, 2025**

Franklin Square Theater FAQs are now posted on The Franklin Theater Project Facebook page. The Franklin Square Forward Committee has also put it up on their website here: The Franklin Square Theater Project FAQs

In 2019, The Franklin Theater became a Town of Hempstead Historic Landmark. But this beautiful, old, art deco beacon of community in Franklin Square is in danger of falling into extreme disrepair or worse - being demolished.

A local Franklin Square resident has assembled a committee of people – now known as The Franklin Theater Project – to work on solving this problem.

With the days of small community movie houses clearly in the rearview mirror, it’s apparent The Franklin could no longer survive as just a place to see films. The space, however, has great potential. It has multiple rooms and levels and is unique enough to serve as more than a movie

theater. Possibilities exist for it to be an event space, a performance theater, and include areas for art and other workshops.

The Franklin Square Theater Project has formulated an out-of-the-box plan, unprecedented in Franklin Square, for the Theater to become a community hub - a ‘third space’ for all. It would be a place by the people and for the people, owned and operated by a non-profit.

An opportunity to work with both the current deed holder and the mortgage lender has developed. While The Franklin Theater Project seeks additional funding to purchase the building before it submits to foreclosure, this GoFundMe was established to gauge and demonstrate the interest of the community and to fund the future operating non-profit’s renovation efforts. Renovations would happen with these funds, as well as those gathered from other fundraising efforts.

Should the additional investment necessary not materialize, GoFundMe donations will be returned to those who pledged them, minus three cents on each dollar (GoFundMe’s fee).

We have the opportunity to acquire this property and create a space that we can enjoy as a community. But it can also be more – an enterprise that can give back continuously to our beloved town.

Let’s make it happen together!