Facelift for B’klyn hoops, bebop home

A venerated Brooklyn house of b-ball and bebop is poised for a new beginning.

The Paramount Theater, once home to silent films and raucous college hoops crowds, will soon be revitalized and reinvented as a 3,000-seat concert venue — the newest incarnation of the French Baroque building that opened 90 years ago.

“This is a renaissance that is happening in Brooklyn right now,” said borough historian Ron Schweiger. “It is the hottest thing happening now.”

The first steps in the $50 million process were taken last week when the old Long Island University basketball scoreboard was lowered from the ceiling to the accompaniment of the venue’s vintage twin console Wurlitzer pipe organ. Next comes the removal of the basketball court and the bleachers to make way for the new, modern seating.

A new entrance is planned with a marquee outside the building, while the inside will now include a state of the art sound system and an LED system for lighting effects.

Architect John Fontillas said the plan was to introduce a contemporary element to the theater’s classic style. Back when the place first opened, guests strolled past plaster statuettes, fountains filled with live goldfish and velvet draperies.

The renovation, initially slated to begin last fall, was delayed until the end of the 2018 spring semester to minimize issues for students. The first live music performances could begin as soon as mid-2019, according to developers.

The doors to the 4,000-seat Paramount first opened in 1928 with the less-than-memorable movie “Manhattan Cocktail” accompanied by a live variety show.

Movies soon gave way to music, with a parade of stars from different genres taking the stage: Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Bing Crosby, Buddy Holly, and Ella Fitzgerald.

In the early 1960s, the sprawling downtown hall fell on hard times and became part of the university. The building was converted into a home for the LIU Blackbirds basketball team — until a new school athletic center opened in 2005.