DuPage Theater

rbtbid on October 21, 2005 at 6:34 pm

Life’s too short….seems your recent visit to Lombard must have been clouded by some false expectations. Not utopia but far from the barren wasteland you described. Well maybe in some parts but only where bulldozers are the norm as they are clearing away old run down house after old run down house to make way for all kinds of new homes down on South Main Street or how about the recently bulldozed homes and businessses off Highland and Roosevelt to make way for a bank amongst other things? Where is the outrage for the next to come down Riley’s (originally an Ozzie’s for us old timers)to add even more land to the major redevelopment?

The truly barren space is that run down “once was” showplace at Main and Parkside. Did you get behind the fence and through those front doors to see what long gutted wasteland lies behind that rusted marquee? Oh, that’s right, the village put an end to “tours” other than to hard hat attired demolition contractors hoping to win the bid to remove it from the landscape. Sad to see it go but progress is what it is….how many years does one have to wait? Millions turned away? Not really. How about millions short of making it a reality.

Find the right private development mix and make it work “Life’s too short”. If only it were that easy…they have tried for years. Do we really need to let it rot anymore before taking a turn on some real progress for this town? And if you have the connections to make it work call the village ASAP and make an offer…but do it without taxpayer handouts.

The facade is likely heading to Union, IL for the railway museum.

Life's Too Short on October 21, 2005 at 4:38 pm

Lombard: you would be lucky if your business district looked half as nice as downtown Park Ridge, anchored by the Pickwick Theatre. Highland Park is pretty nice, too. How about Downtown Evanston with it’s attractive (albeit modern) Century entertainment complex? The people in Barrington are going to great lengths to preserve the Catlow Theatre because they recognize it’s value to the community.

There’s no reason to be nice about this: Downtown Lombard sucks. I don’t care if you have one Italian restaruant that was written up in the Tribune. Restaurants…even those written up in the Tribune are here one year and gone the next. I also don’t care if you have a few stores. Lombard is barren and ugly…almost like some depressed town in rural Illinois.

I am not pro-preservation at any cost. There is certainly not room for every 1920’s theatre in the modern world. If Lombard had four such theatres, I would certainly say that saving them all would be unrealistic. But, I have now seen Lombard for myself. That theatre is a real centerpiece (albeit one that is run down currently). It attracts the eye as you enter the business district. It has a large building attached to it that can be used for retail/residential, and it has a parking lot (for residents, tenants, and patrons alike). It also appears that there is property to the south that might be incorporated into an intelligent development scheme.

Given all of this, why are some in the community apparently hell-bent on seeing the building destroyed? It almost seems as if they take joy in the process. Am I to understand you were going to have a BBQ to celebrate the theatre’s destruction? How old are you? And why is the use of tax dollars an issue? Tax dollars across the United States have been pissed away on projects far less sensible than this. And if intelligent use of tax dollars is such a priority in Lombard, why does the whole town (at least everywhere I drove on my visit, which was quite a considerable section) look barren? Is that the result of years of intelligent community development planning? And why is anyone yelling about tax money when (to my understanding) millions in government funding has been turned away?

Get it together. What does Lombard have to offer? The Illinois Prarie Path? A mall or two? Sweet…

Now, as far as the theatre supporters go: why aren’t you guys on the telephone every day trying to solicit corporations and wealthy foundations for donations. I have been on a non-profit Board of Trustees for the last few years (not related to a theatre) and that’s the kind of hustle our Development Director uses to get things done. He stays on people literally for years, and gets them to donate. You guys should be all over the place with your Power Point presentation. Perhaps I am wrong, but I don’t sense that anything like that has happened.

And if you anti-theatre people win…why are you going to stick it to the preservation people? Why don’t you at least leave the facade of the building, so that a piece of history is saved…and that bright white entrance continues to serve as an eye-catching gateway to the area around the railroad tracks.

Someone earlier was asking about difficult preservation battles. I have already mentioned the Allen in Cleveland. The Chicago Theatre is another example. It may now be in safe hands. But in the mid-80’s there were people driving around with, “save the Chicago Theatre” bumper stickers because of a proposal to redevelop the site. There are bitter fights now raging in Richmond, Virginia and Pasadena, California. Keep up the fight…you are in good company, and you have a good chance of winning. If people like you weren’t willing to battle fiercely, America might not have any movie palaces remaining today. Most of them would have disappeared during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Countless proposals to replace movie palaces with other development have been overcome over the years…just browse this web site for a while.

Keep up the fight! I for one feel that your community has a lot riding on this.

P.S. To Challenger: I have an honest suggestion for you. Choose another screen name. Every time I see yours, it reminds me of the space shuttle tragedy. It makes you seem aloof.

TrueClass on October 21, 2005 at 3:50 pm

So JW is Jayme, an 18 year old girl living in sin behind the theatre? She tries to create problems between my neighbor and I, she can’t even SPELL I.T., and she holds all the answers… A girl who has probably never even voted is accusing ME of being someone I am not, and that creates a problem here!
“Please cease the name calling and juvenile behavior. You are not representing preservationists very well” What about the comments by young Jayme on here? What about her committing slander? Where’s your berating her for that?
posted by TheMurph on Oct 18, 2005 at 11:35am
BTW, if youg Jayme Warnock is dead set against the theater and thinks it will rot out Lombard, when is she going to stand up at a Board meeting and publically speak out against it? High school wasn’t that long ago (she still may be in it, considering her attitude) so she should remember her government lessons on how thing work in local government…

I’m trying to make sure I don’t spell anything wrong or make any grammatical or spelling errors so Ann doesn’t think I am someone else either!!! One female off her rocker on here is enough!!!
posted by TheMurph on Oct 18, 2005 at 11:41am
I was leaning towards being anti-theatre, but recent activities by the likes of Jayme and others have opened my eyes. I do not think that the Trustees would reconsider their position on the theater. For whatever their reasons, no matter how flawed they may appear to be, they are dead set on demolition. The fact that they chose to pay for demolition, rather than to sell the site outright, leads me to believe that there is another plan they have that they do not want the public to know about just yet, but that’s just one man’s opinion…
posted by TheMurph on Oct 18, 2005 at 11:45am
Duper/Murph,

Once again, there is much evidence to support the allegation that you are now 4 different people – Mr. Devitt, dupersupporter, Dupagedude and now add Mr. Murphy. Following is a copy of the e-mail that Jayme forwarded to me last night. It is very clear in this e-mail that you are more than happy that the theatre was set for demolition. You actually wanted to go to the alleged celebration:
Dan Murphy wrote:
> >Jayme-Are you really having a party for the demise of the DuPage
Theatre?
> >That’s so cool! I’m glad to read that it’s finally over, now the
Board
>can
> >get down to the real business of running this town instead of all
the
> >sillyness! My wife and I would love to come to the party, I’ll bring
both
> >my neighbor’s signs I talked them into taking down! Let me know the
> >information and if you’d like us to bring anything.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >Dan Murphy
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >Don’t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search!
> >http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

Your last post as “TheMurph” now says you were only “leaning towards being anti-theatre?” You sounded pretty convicted to demolition in your e-mail to Jayme. You spoke of “theatre support signs you talked neighbors into taking down” etc…

Don’t you see that all of these deceitful acts and deceptive measures are catching up with you? How can you work to preserve this old building when you are so busy covering up this web of deceit? How many more charachters can you play?

Finally Jim,
There is nobody listed as Dan Murphy that is a registered voter in Lombard. Wouldn’t someone as actively involved in community issues like the one you created be a registered voter?

I am not asking for you to acknowledge you have been caught, nor do I ask for an apology. I only ask that you stick to the topic of restoration and keep the discussion positive. Everyone has been through enough.

Have a nice day and may God be with you.
posted by True Class on Oct 18, 2005 at 12:14pm
Whatever Jim (now the fictious Dan Murphy) Keep spreading your lies, we don’t care. BTW – try harder on the spelling – 3 errors on that second post alone. So easy to spot you Jim.

Duper – quit referring to the “preservationist Jim Devitt”, there’s nothing “preservationist” about him, he should be more accurately labeled “obstructionist Jim Devitt”.

TrueClass on October 21, 2005 at 3:18 pm

CT,
Just tell him what he wants to hear and maybe he will go away. When he get’s outmatched intellectually he presses his caps lock button and asks the same question you just answered.

We all understood your explanation of the proper application of TIF.

Reasonable people understand you are concerned about the financing, but maybe it’s best to just tell him you want the theatre demolished because it is an ugly eyesore. Maybe then he will go away and we can have a civil discussion. This person has some serious issues.

raymond on October 21, 2005 at 2:45 pm

CT1.All you say is NO TIF for the theatre.If you are Soooo concerned about the taxpayers then again here is your chance to say to all “NO TIF for anybody.” But you won’t because you are NOT crusading on behalf of the taxpayers. You are on your own PERSONAL crusade to demolish the theatre and the more you deny it the more egg you put on your face.

Life's Too Short on October 21, 2005 at 2:28 pm

OK…now that’s just an ignorant thing to say, CP2. Do you have any knowledge of the American financial markets? Apparently, bonds were sold to finance this convention center. Do you know what that process entails? It entails the issuer hiring an investment bank, like Morgan Stanley, to underwrite the securities for a large fee. Then Morgan Stanley lays off the bonds: 1) in large blocks through institutional sales desks to municipal pension funds and other large entities 2) in batches of ten and twenty through it’s broker sales force to little old ladies across the nation. Nobody looks at the purpose of the bonds. They look at the credit rating, how much interest they pay, and when they are redeemable…and often that doesn’t even happen: the salesman calls up, says the customer should buy & the customer buys. The virtues of a particular project have nothing to do with how marketable a bond issue is…and even the critical data, such as S&P ratings, is subject to negotiation.

Many an American (corporations and individuals alike) has purchased investments of this nature that blew up.

raymond on October 21, 2005 at 2:08 pm

Concerned taxpayer worries about “unprecendented” village intervention via
TIF. CT1/2.You say NOTHING about “unprecendented” village intervention via TIF for GRANTS to BRIBE businesses into Lombard? Bribe money “grants ” with TIF.You must think it is OK because you never mention it. Aren’t you the one always preaching “GRANTS are TAXES”? If you are so concerned about no TIF then here is your chance to scream “No TIF for Anybody”. Really, all you care about is no TIF for the theatre.Your ideas are ridiculous and everybody knows that you have made the demolition of the theatre “your personal crusade”.
You could care less about the taxpayers.You are a FRAUD and everybody knows it.

toni on October 21, 2005 at 1:51 pm

4/3/2003 RFP FOR SOUTH PROPRTY “Provided we are selected to develop the south lot, RSC would like to propose that our team become the development manager on a pro-bono basis for the DuPage Theatre and shops redevelopment in order to align the total development and complete the entire project on a time sensitive and economical basis."
What development doesn’t use TIF when put in a TIF district? The village is paying for a waterpark with TIF.
The plan disturbs nothing in town as far as the public knows. Your Charlotte St. residents can get the setback they want. RSC will put effort into changing the plan any way it will work.
Too bad the village wouldn’t even look at the numbers after they came back to the table June 1 ! oops – then came June 2,. Too little too late? More like too much all at once, let’s cut bait with a demolition order. .
Wow, if risk was all that, the convention center is the abyss of risk!

rbtbid on October 21, 2005 at 1:15 pm

Take care of it? How? No reason this project won’t succeed? Of course not since it will be at the taxpayers expense! And Jam came in, typical of the friends, a day late and $8 million short. Where was all this pent up enthusiasm for the project a year ago, two years ago, five years ago? Faced with demolition, suddenly all this comes out of the woodwork. And if it were such a landmark project then RSC and Coffey can take all the risks and bask in all the glory of its PROFITABLE operation as JAM books it solid leaving only Mondays for dance recitals and the community.

When it comes to putting your money where your mouths are, you all clam up real fast. The finances stink and without unprecendented village intervention via TIF, the project goes nowhere. Take a million in TIF and make the rest a PRIVATE venture…act fast as that is the roar of bulldozers marching down Main Street we hear in the distance.

And the best development this town has ever seen? If this was the best that could happen then it should have happened without TIF…the only thing that made it best was it put all the risk to the village and NOT to RSC or Coffey.

raymond on October 21, 2005 at 1:01 pm

Challenger says"The Dupage is not going to be a “single screen theatre. "The plan is (was )to turn it into a preforming art center”. FYI ……The plan is to “restore” the theatre into a preforming arts center that may from time to time show a great film on a SINGLE SCREEN WITHOUT duplexing or triplexing of the theatre.

RobertR on October 21, 2005 at 12:48 pm

Most performing art centers have classic film series.

raymond on October 21, 2005 at 12:41 pm

Dupe Neighbor.Are YOU willing to commit yourself to save and preserve the Dupage Theatre? Yes or no?

rbtbid on October 21, 2005 at 12:37 pm

Well RobertR…it is what it is. Come see for yourself but wear a hard hat due to falling bricks, terra cotta, and plaster. And the plan of being able to sit back in big single screen theatre was not part of this plan. It was not going to be an arts theatre but instead a “rented house” for who knows what. Maybe the childrens dance recitals one night, the local community theatre another night, and anyone else they claim will be lining up to rent the place….never mind the fact that the high school has two auditoriums ready for use at a moments notice. And you are right there has to be art and humanity..but not resting on the shoulders of the taxpayers. All you preservation zealots need to put your money where your mouth is..talk is cheap, restoration takes millions. Pony up the funds to help save “the past” or stay out of it.