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EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE APRIL 20, 2010
Date: April 20, 2010
Contact: John Holden
Still Endangered After All These Years
UPTOWN THEATRE Named Endangered Historic Landmark a Third Time
The UPTOWN THEATRE
4816 N. Broadway, Chicago (Cook County)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- First listed on the Landmarks Illinois 10 Most Endangered List in 1996, and then again in 2001, the 1925 Uptown Theatre, Chicago, remains vacant, deteriorating and without an active restoration project. The Uptown Theatre was named again to the statewide “Top 10” endangered historic building list again today, April 20, 2010, said Jim Peters, president and executive director of Landmarks Illinois. The announcement was made during a press conference at the statehouse.
The 1925 Balaban & Katz movie palace was listed on the National Register in 1986 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 1991, including its remarkable Spanish Baroque interior details. The City of Chicago, local leaders and a dedicated group of volunteers have diligently protected and promoted the theatre through nearly three decades of absentee ownership and disinterested management.
Finally, in 2008, a new owner purchased the theatre and began planning to restore it as a live performance venue. However, the current economic climate makes it difficult for the owner to secure the $40 million required to restore and reuse the building.
City, state and federal support is needed to help support the owner's efforts and ensure a future for this neglected landmark that could be an impressive point of pride and economic engine for the neighborhood, city and state.
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Notes: We appreciate the advocacy and attention to detail of Landmarks Illinois, its director and president Jim Peters and the entire board, staff and membership. Please view the Landmarks Illinois web site for more information: www.landmarks.org .
Volunteer spokesman John Holden is a 20-year Uptown resident and activist, Uptown homeowner, former president of the Uptown Historical Society, and a longtime patron of the Uptown Theatre.
Friends of the Uptown, which has represented longtime volunteers since 1998, is a volunteer advocacy organization dedicated to the renovation and reuse of the theatre. www.uptowntheatre.com
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