Metro Theatre
3308 W. Lawrence Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60625
3308 W. Lawrence Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60625
3 people
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This description of the Terminal Theatre is from an article about the Ascher Bros. chain in the March 10, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World:
My experiences at the Metro in the 40’s were among the most powerful in my childhood, the Saturday children matinees complete with each new installment of a serial like Batman and Robin.
There was not much in ordinary life compared with the power of that big movie screen, a magical power I could indeed feel.
Here is a night view of the Metro from THSA.
ANOTHER ONE GONE.
Oddly, one can still see the building on Google maps street view. Neat!
The Metro always showed movies made by independent film makers…
When I was about 8 years old in ‘45, I put a penny in the automatic pop machine that cost a nickel… and to my surprise a cup came out
and filled up.,when I took it out… another cup came down and filled up…and then another, and I got scared and went back into the movie expecting the theater was going to be flooded. That was the last time I ever tried that!
Wish they had save the front of the building.
It’s gone.
First-class demo job, too. You can jump from the sidewalk right into one of the windowless storefronts and land in the basement.
It’s there:
3300 W LAWRENCE AVE
Description: WRECK AND REMOVE A TWO STORY COMMERCIAL BUILDING.
Total Records: 2
Discipline ApprDate Status
FINAL DATA REVIEW 02/20/2008 APPROVED
FINAL DATA REVIEW 02/20/2008 APPROVED
I still don’t see a demo permit for this, but it is indeed being demolished. Coverage is at View link , and Here and here
Hello All-
As of this Writing the Metro is Coming down, Demolition started last week!(18, Feb.2008).
Jerry Saunders, Elgin,IL.
There’s a building permit application filed with the City for 3300 W. Lawrence: ERECT 6 D.U. WITH (2) FIRST FLOOR OFFICE SPACES MASONRY BUILDING. 6 EXTERIOR PARKING SPACES ON CONCRETE PAD. 5 FEET HIGH 9 FEET BY 4 FEET MASONRY TRASH ENCLOSURE ON CONCRETE PAD WITH GATE. 74 LN. FEET OF 6 FEET HIGH WOOD FENCE. CONDITIONAL PERMIT. SUB. I didn’t find a demo permit in the system for the existing building, so maybe it’s staying after all.
There is a notice of water service termination posted on the door of one of the stores, and it looks like some interior demolition has begun. Also, the restuarant north of the theater on Spaulding has closed, with some interior demolition going on. Interestingly, the fence around the rear of the property has been removed, and there are a couple of murals (or at least very elaborate graffiti) on the back of the building.
The two remaining stores in the Metro have closed.
I took a walk on old Lawrenceavenue last night and saw the ornate building the Metro was housed in. Lawrence Avenue is still a street of small businesses. It’s honorary name is Seoul Drive, but this is a misnomer because the presence now is overwhemingly Hispanic. The City is dynamic: Heraclitus might have said you can’t step into the same neighborhood twice.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE ad announced on Thursday, December 31, 1925 that the Metro theatre (formerly the Terminal), 3308 W. Lawrence avenue, had opened on that date. The “new” Terminal theatre opened in 1926.
I wonder how many law suits were actually filed.
Correction to my 12/5/06 post – three stores are open, Asiana Outlet Store, Asia Hosiery, and Fabulous Food Mart. There are now signs saying “Lot for Sale, 3300-3314 W. Lawrence.” The owner says he is not sure yet if he is going to rebuild, tear the building down, or leave it as-is.
Thanks mp.
With yours, Brian’s, and other peoples' reports, I feel like I’m there keeping up with the work. It helps keep me feeling connected to the home of my roots.
The two stores closest to Spaulding, which do not back up to where the auditorium was, have reopened. The remaining stores remain boarded up, both in front and in back, and the Tae Kwon Doe parlor on the second floor also looks like it has not reopened. There is no evidence of reconstruction going on, but it isn’t exactly construction season right now.
Thanks for the photo collage of the collapsed building. The photos seem to be c. two months old. What’s the latest status of the restoration?
Here are photos of this theater.
As of this morning, the auditorium is gone, along with the back walls of all the storefronts. I agree that it looks like the storefronts and façade may be saved; there is only construction fencing along the alley, not on the Lawrence or Spaulding building frontages.
I went by there. It looks like they’re just removing the collapsed portion, for now at least. I say this because there was no scaffolding on the facade, which there would certainly be if it were all being demolished.