Uptown Theatre
4816 N. Broadway,
Chicago,
IL
60640
4816 N. Broadway,
Chicago,
IL
60640
88 people
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Inside Online article
(continued – part 2)
One of the ways he wants to include the community in the restoration of their theater is to collect stories of the residents. “One woman who now lives in the Edgewater Beach Apartments reminisced about when she was a child, she and her girlfriend would throw water balloons from the top balcony and, when chased by the Andy Frain ushers, they would hide in the woman’s washroom.” Zipperer and the Uptown’s public relations firm are thinking of publishing a book of these remembrances for the grand re-opening of the theater on its 80th anniversary in 20005.
“The Uptown opened August 18, 1925, at noon. At 2 p.m. when the first show emptied, 12,000 people were in a line for the next show,” Zipperer said. “I want to get everyone involved, not just big donors. Even someone with just a few dollars will be welcome and I hope that when they are 80 years old they will pass the theater and say to themselves, ‘See, I helped keep our Uptown Theater for all of us.’”
“It is a precious part of our community and also of my family,” Al Goodman added. “The theater will be dedicated to all the employees of my grandmother’s Appleton Electric Company who fought in World War II.” The factory was on Wellington St. and Paulina Ave. before it became condos. It is the Appleton foundation that has pledged its financial support for the Uptown.
Viewed as pivotal piece in the redevelopment of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, the Uptown Theater is the country’s largest freestanding theater building in terms of square footage. It was designed by famed Chicago architects Rapp & Rapp and was one of the crown jewels of the national Balaban & Katz movie palace empire.
Shuttered since 1981, the Uptown has been listed on “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places and the Illinois Historic Structures Survey and is protected as a Chicago Landmark.
“We are always looking for volunteers to stuff envelopes and keep our lists current,” said Zipperer. “Or to man our information booths that we plan to have in most neighborhood festivals where we will sell T-shirts to raise money.”
The Uptown Theater and Center for the Arts, a 501©(3) not-for-profit corporation incorporated in March 2001, is comprised of business, theater, and other professionals from the Uptown community who are committed to purchasing and restoring the Uptown Theater to its former prominence.
To make a donation to the Uptown Theatre restoration project,
Mail to:
Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts, 4707 N. Broadway, Suite 315,
Chicago, IL 60640
or visit us on the web at: www.uptowntheatrechicago.com
or call us: 773-561-5700
Inside Newspaper ran a front page article about the Uptown Theatre restoration project in the June 19 – June 25 edition.
Text from Inside Online (part 1):
Inside Newspaper
“Legendary Uptown Theater gets a boost”
By: Jim Sterne
News Editor
An agreement signed last Wednesday, June 19, between the not-for-profit Uptown Theater and Center for the Arts and Cercore Properties Corp. breathes new life into the groups' bid to purchase and restore the historic Uptown Theater to its original grandeur.
In the first major initiative spearheaded by Uptown Theater and Center for the Arts' newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer Mark Zipperer, the agreement allowing the group to buy the landmark building is extended from the original deadline of December 2001 to early October 2002.
“We need $4 million to complete the purchase, stabilize the theater, replenish our operating funds, and rekindle the fundraising campaign,” Zipperer said. The fundraising campaign that was started last July when Albert I. Goodman, on behalf of the Edith-Marie Appleton Foundation, kicked off the drive to renovate the theater with a generous gift of $1 million and a pledge of continuing support.
“My belief in the importance of purchasing and restoring the historic Uptown for future generations is stronger than ever,” said Goodman. “It’s not only a treasure for the citizens of Chicago, it’s a gem for us to share with all America.” Goodman added that, “I have pledged another million dollars if the theater can raise the $3 million.”
Zipperer, who expressed confidence that funding for purchasing the theater will be finalized by early October, is a Board Member of the Uptown Chicago Commission and president of the Buena Park Neighborhood Association, the Uptown area’s largest block club. He has just been elected to the Local School Council for Disney Magnet School, where he will serve as budgeting manager responsible for fundraising , increasingly important as the city’s financial crisis forces budget cuts in all areas.
“You get a good feeling when you do something for the community,” Zipperer said, “It’s as simple as that.” He has lived in Uptown for ten years and is excited about the TIFs for Wilson Yard and Lawrence and Broadway. “The Uptown theater will be the anchor for the whole area.”
The 37-year-old Zipperer hails from the Milwaukee area and graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance and real estate.
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FYI: Friends of the Uptown, Chicago, a longtime volunteer advocacy remains intact and active. Volunteer activity began at the theater in 1977, continued through its closure in 1981 and has safeguarded it ever since. Stay in touch with news and views about the Uptown Theatre by subscribing to Uptown Adviser at http://www.uptowntheatre.com
Archived editions of Uptown Adviser online may be read at: View link
Dear Friends,
Recently, I have accepted the role as CEO of the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts. By now, you have probably heard the exciting news about our renewed effort to purchase the Uptown Theatre. Recently we entered into a purchase agreement with the current owner of the Theatre that will enable us the exclusive right to purchase this historic property within the next 120 days.
Currently, I am spearheading a campaign to raise $4 million to complete the purchase of the Theatre building. This campaign will also enable us to stabilize/winterize the building, replenish our operating budget, and provide the funding necessary to allow us to kick off a campaign to secure all funds necessary to completely restore the Theatre to its original grandeur.
Although we have already made considerable progress toward our goals, many have asked us, “How can I help?” GLAD YOU ASKED! First and foremost, we are seeking donations, which will be reserved strictly for the purchase of the Theatre. Because we have only 15 weeks to complete this purchase, we must quickly raise the remaining needed funds. Thankfully we already have commitments toward a portion of the $4 million.
The best way to donate is online at: www.uptowntheatrechicago.com. Click the “SUPPORT” button on the left and then “donate online.” Or, you can mail your donation to our office address listed below.
If you’d like a more detailed perspective about our strategic plan to make this restoration a success, please call and set up an appointment and we’ll talk in person.
We are in the process also expanding our current board of directors. As such, we’re looking for committed people with expertise in the following areas to be a part of our board:
If you are interested in a board position, please e-mail your biography with a short summary about why you are interested in saving the Uptown Theatre to:
And finally, if you know someone who you think might be a donor or potential board member, please forward this e-mail on to that person (s).
Remember, time is of the essence, and we need everyone’s help to save this historic Chicago landmark!
Best regards,
Mark M. Zipperer
Chief Executive Officer
Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts
4707 N. Broadway, Suite 315
Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: 773-561-5700
Fax: 773.784.5900
www.uptowntheatrechicago.com
RADIO INTERVIEW that will be webcasted!
WLUW-FM 88.7 (Loyola University Radio)
Date: Friday, June 21, 2002
Time: after 2:00 pm
Mark Zipperer, newly appointed CEO of the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts, will be interviewed on “Stephen in the Evenin'” by Nick Tristano. The 7-10 minute segment will be a casual interview on the group’s plans for the Uptown Theatre.
Tune in to the show via webcast at http://www.stephenintheevenin.com/
The show is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-10 pm and Fridays 2-6 pm.
For more information on the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts, check out the official web site:
uptowntheatrechicago.com
CHICAGO (June 11, 2002)
An agreement signed last Wednesday between the not-for-profit Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts and Cercore Properties Corp. breathes new life into the group’s bid to purchase and restore the historic Uptown Theatre to its original grandeur. In the first major initiative spearheaded by Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts' newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer Mark Zipperer, the agreement extends through early October the contract allowing the group to buy the landmark building, which originally expired in December 2001.
The top priority of the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts now, according to Zipperer, is to re-build the momentum of the fundraising campaign that was started last July, when Albert I. Goodman, on behalf of the Edith-Marie Appleton Foundation, kicked off the drive to renovate the historic Uptown Theatre with a generous gift of $1 million and a pledge of continuing support.
“My belief in the importance of purchasing and restoring the historic Uptown for future generations is stronger than ever,” said Goodman. “It’s not only a treasure for the citizens of Chicago, it’s a gem for us to share with all America.”
Zipperer, who expressed confidence that funding for purchasing the theatre will be finalized by early October, is a Board Member of the Uptown Chicago Commission and president of the Buena Park Neighborhood Association, the Uptown area’s largest block club. Professionally, his credentials span 14 years of marketing, management and financial experience with Andersen, UCC TotalHome of Chicago, General Electric Company and the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. He also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Walt Disney Magnet School Local School Council and a member of the Dance for Life Corporate Donation Committee.
The 37-year-old Zipperer hails from the Milwaukee area and graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and Real Estate.
“The future of Uptown has never shone brighter,” said Zipperer. “Working together and drawing upon the strength of our diversity, we have the opportunity to restore a building that is a key part of our history, promote tourism, create jobs within the community, make theatre more readily accessible to area children, and eventually provide a home to many theatre groups that cannot currently afford one.”
Contrary to Mr. Pierce’s comments to mkmarshall, a great deal is happening at the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts. However, not all of our plans have been disseminated to the public at this time. We are currently in the midst of an aggressive capital campaign. For continual updates on our progress, visit the official web site at www.uptowntheatrechicago.com
I received an e-mail from James Pierce today in response to my inquiry about work on the Uptown, and he said he wasn’t aware of any new progress as of 1-18-02. The organization has a great website with a lot of good information at http://uptowntheatrechicago.com.
The official website of the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts, the group that has as its mission the restoration of the Uptown theatre is up and running. Check us out at www.uptowntheatrechicago.com
Thank you for your interest in the Uptown Theatre, Chicago. You can learn more at http://www.uptowntheatre.com
A new web site, http://www.uptowntheatrechicago.com is coming soon. It will support the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts, a renovation and reuse project. Again, thank you for your interest! More good news coming soon!
I am looking for anyone interested in pursuing a business venture involving the Uptown theater. The idea I have in mind involves using the theater for film presentation and not for live venues. I live in Chicago and would be happy to provide contact information to anyone who is really serious about this proposition. Please contact me by email.