Original Prospect Hall Prospect Hall was originally built by local entrepreneur John Kolle, a German immigrant. In 1890, he had built Tivoli Hall, a four-story concert hall in the part of
South Brooklyn now known as
Park Slope, for restaurateur
Charles Feltman. In May 1892, Kolle announced plans for Prospect Hall, which was intended to cater to the German societies and organizations of the area. It was to be located on
Prospect Avenue, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, a few blocks from Tivoli Hall. Prospect Hall was constructed at a cost of $130,000 (). An 1893 report from the
Brooklyn Citizen cited the building as measuring , The Prospect Heights Athletic Club, a boxing club, formed at Prospect Hall shortly after it opened in November 1892. In its inaugural years, the hall hosted a range of events including plays,
boxing tournaments, John Kolle's son, William D. Kolle, managed the hall. On December 11, 1900, two hundred
firefighters responded to a major fire at Prospect Hall. While the firefighters stopped the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings, the hall was destroyed.
Reconstructed Prospect Hall '' in 1901, prior to its construction
Kolle ownership John Kolle quickly decided to rebuild Prospect Hall on the same site and, in June 1901, opened a temporary
beer garden next door. The
New York City Buildings Department initially refused to grant a permit for the reconstruction because the blueprints included a drinking bar. According to building code, a bar could not operate on the same property as any building with stage facilities and over 300 seats. In July 1901, the commissioner voted with the Board of Buildings to reverse his initial decision and approve the new plans. The rebuilt Prospect Hall opened on February 2, 1903, and was also managed by John Kolle's son, William. Shortly after the hall's reopening, the building nearly caught fire again. A fire started in the Kolle family's adjacent home, nearly killing one of his daughters. Worried it would spread to the hall, the fire department sent an extra fire engine to help control it. While they successfully prevented damage to the hall, the house was destroyed. Firefighters had difficulty getting a sufficient stream of water due to a large
eel which made its way into a fire hose, clogging it. In 1911, singer and comedian
Sophie Tucker performed. The venue also hosted meetings for politicians and club leaders, with certain nights devoted to annual balls in honor of several leaders. Organizations such as the Brooklyn Quartet Club and Brooklyn Rifle Club were also housed in the building. as well as
Works Progress Administration productions during the 1930s. sold the building in 1940 to the White Eagle Society, a group formed by
Polish immigrants. White Eagle converted it into a Polish-American community center. The organization repainted and repaired the building by 1949. The United Polish Societies of South Brooklyn called it their headquarters as of 1971, meeting one evening a month. Dances and concerts were also hosted in Prospect Hall until the 1970s. He was a former
real estate agent,
travel agent, and
employment agent who helped Greek people immigrate to the United States. Under the Halkiases' ownership, Prospect Hall was renamed Grand Prospect Hall. Starting in 1986, the Halkiases gained a measure of local fame for producing and starring in
cheaply shot commercials for the hall which aired regularly on local television. The ads contained various shots of the interior spaces, showing events held there, set to orchestral music, with a sales pitch from the Halkiases typically including a phrase which became associated with them: "We make your dreams come true!" The tagline, according to
Brooklyn Paper, is "instantly recognizable to any New Yorker who owned a television set." However, NRHP status does not restrict what non-federal owners can do with a property. At the time, the building was not granted official
city landmark status from the
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), which would grant protections from redevelopment. The flyers upset some neighbors, who viewed it as a threat, while Michael Halkias described it as an economic necessity. The request for a zoning exception was not approved.
Sale to Rigas Business suffered during the
COVID-19 pandemic, and Grand Prospect Hall closed in March 2020. Two months later, on May 6, Michael Halkias died at the age of 82 due to complications from
COVID-19. The interior was largely auctioned off before the sale was announced, with some of the decorations and fixtures sold to other local businesses and antiques sellers. Local activists began a petition to try to save the building from demolition and asked the LPC to hold hearings for landmark status. However, the LPC refused to hold a hearing to consider the building for landmark status, since the exterior had been too extensively modified from its original design. Among the LPC's reasons for denying the request were that the fourth-floor
pediment had been removed, the
frieze above ground level had been modified, and the entrance
portico had been enclosed. Much of the interior had also been demolished already.
Brooklyn Magazine reported in February 2022 that it would be replaced with a five-story residential building. The demolition was completed by February 25, 2022. == Building ==