BK, thanks for mentioning that book. I had never heard of it, but it sounds like a fascinating read. The Chicago Sun-Times had a recent series on the re-development of the Downtown Area. It examined the successes and pitfalls of this development.
BW, that could explain the row of single-story stores. They may have been trying to re-develop the block piecemeal, or the structures could have indeed been temporary in order to get a few tax dollars out of the site. I remember that the original plan was to obliterate practically the whole North Loop. Imagine the area with no Oriental/Ford Center, no Goodman, no Cadillac Palace! I’m glad that these places were retained, or in the case of the Goodman, the facades restored. Broadway and live theatre in Chicago is alive and well because of these places.
The structures in Bryan’s photo above look like they are all closed and awaiting demolition. Around the corner and across the street from the Oriental was a huge pinball and video game arcade. I just remember that block of Randolph being rather seedy. Demolishing all of it was actually an improvement!
If you compare and contrast Bryan’s 1978 and 1990 photos, you will see that State Street had been re-configured into a “Mall” (a glorified busway, actually). You can easily see that the State Street Mall was a colossal failure. It was ugly and it did nothing to stem the exodus of businesses from the Loop. Circa 1996, the City of Chicago removed the “Mall”, re-opening the street to traffic. Since then, business on State Street has gone up with stores and restaurants (like Borders Books and Nordstrom Rack) re-appearing. At one point, they proposed a Target store for block 37. On one hand, it would have made sense as Target and Marshall Fields were once owned by Target Corporation. On the other hand, there would have been no parking available for the Target.
I wonder why those single-level non-descript stores were built on the site of the Roosevelt. Certainly they knew that the entire block was going to be demolished.
Now that I remember it, between the demolition of the Roosevelt in 1979 and sometime in the early 90, there actually was a block of buildings built on “Block 37”. These were rather non-descript, single-story retail stores such as the GAP, The Limited, etc.
There definitely is work going on at Block 37. The underground “Pedway” underneath, which links Marshall Fields with the CTA Blue Line and the Daley Center is now closed (the “Pedway” east of that point to Randolph Street Station has been closed for many years) The ground has been broken up and there is construction work going on.
Thanks, bearbear 31, that clears up a lot for me. I once heard that DeYoung was from the West Side of Chicago (I can’t confirm this) so, as I said above, it could have been possible for him to have gone to the Paradise. The album, “Paradise Theatre” actually peaked in 1981 and I recall going to see Styx at the Rosemont Horizon (now called the Allstate Arena and primarily used for pro hockey). Styx had a scale model of the Paradise marquee and it was the one from the album cover. I do recall hearing that the band rehearsed in the Granada Theatre for the tour. The band again played the Horizon for the 1996 “Return to Paradise” tour. In both the 1981 and 1996 tours, Tommy Shaw played the part of a janitor/stage hand before and after the concert.
On another note, I recall reading that the original demolition contractor did go bankrupt and that the company owner committed suicide during the project.
Along with its neighbor to the South. the Michael Todd, this theatre was re-invented by M&R as the Dearborn Cinemas. As I recall, expectations of the combined theatre were quite high. M&R initially tried to get better bookings into the Dearborn.
However, things didn’t pan out that way and soon the Dearborn was back to showing second-rate fare. Kung-Fu, blaxploitation, and porno films were no longer profitable for theatre owners to show by 1985-1987 (due to the proliferation of VCRs). So, a lot of cheapie slasher/horror flix were shown here. Perhaps the North Loop Area wasn’t yet ready for a cinema. I would think that a cinema there now, showing premium fare, would do well.
This article explained to me the whole Plitt/Essaness/Cineplex sequence. I’ve seen the article before and if you look at my comments under the Mercury (Elmwood Park), you’ll see how I charted what happened to all of the cinemas opened by Cineplex-Odeon circa 1985-1989. Very few remain in operation as cinemas today. The champ must be the Bricktown, which operated only between 1989 and 2000.
The description above for this theatre should be changed. The Adelphi has been demolished so now the Village North is the only movie theatre left in Rogers Park.
Also, a few years ago, there was a proposal to build a new multi-plex across from the CTA’s Howard Street L Stop (Red Line). Anybody know whatever became of that plan?
Per Bobs above: Bobs, it is clear that you are not from the Chicagoland Area. I would highly advise against driving around sites like the Marbro and the Paradise. As a previous poster said, these areas are ghettoes. Enjoy the many old photos of these theatres in books, etc. It’s not worth the risk you’d take driving thru here.
I’ve often wondered how Dennis DeYoung & Styx came up with the idea of basing a concept album on the Paradise. Given DeYoung’s birthdate, it is conceivable that he went there as a small boy. I also wonder if any demolition pictures of the Paradise exist anywhere.
It’s hard to say. I can’t say whether or not the strip mall this theatre is in is within the Niles City Limits, or if it’s in the unincorporated area of Cook County. There are a lot of ramshackle apartments in that area (and some nice condos too). The strip mall itself is blah. As the Golf Glen theatre was once a grocery store, it would be relatively easy to convert it back to retail use. One thing’s for sure—English is definitely not the first language spoken in this area.
By the way, did you ever do your Essaness Theatres project? If so, how did it go.
Any word on what happened to this theatre? Has it been demolished? Converted to retail? Or is it still sitting vacant. I’m surprised that Classic Cinemas closed this theatre after only two years (and after expanding it).
If you’ve read my other posts, you’ll know that I beleive certain theatres have outlived their usefulness and many have been excellent candidates for adaptive re-use (the Hinsdale is a good example of this). However, as I’ve said above, the Gateway/Copernicus Center is viable and must be retained in order to keep a sense of place to the community. Developers must realize that proximity to theatres (movie and performing arts) can be a selling point. The developers of Downtown Arlington Heights realized this when their plans included a cinema and a live theatre.
With that in mind, I foound the following article in the Chicago Sun-Times interesting. “Bike shop owner wins fight against city: Officials drop lawsuit seeking to get land for redevelopment”. The owner of Sportif, a bicycle shop across the street from the Gateway, sued the city because the city wanted to take the store away for more condo redevelopment. Big surprise, right? That big CVS that was droppped in the middle of the area was an eyesore enough. Although I have nothing against CVS, etc, places like these add nothing to the character of a neighborhood except traffic congestion.
To link to that article, go to www.suntimes.com and search for SPORTIF. Let’s have condo redevelopment, but let’s have sensible condo development that works with the surrounding community instead of being imposed upon it.
That’s okay, the Lansing just down the road will benefit from the closure of the River Oaks. If big behemoths like AMC don’t want your money, then by all means give it to the little guys like Jenco (which owns the Lansing).
That’s okay, the Lansing just down the road will benefit from the closure of the River Oaks. If big behemoths like AMC don’t want your money, then by all means give it to the little guys like Jenco (which owns the Lansing).
Hopefully this place will benefit from the closure of the River Oaks. If big behemoths like AMC don’t want your money, then by all means give it to the little guys like Jenco!
Rochelle is a really nice small city to visit. Do like I’ve done. Spend a day at the Rochelle Railroad Park (a busy crossing of the BNSF and UP Railroads), and then take in a movie at this neat (albeit subdivided) theatre.
Theatre #4 has been closed for some time. Apparantly, it is being remodeled with new seating. As a four-plex, it is oddly configured (but then again, name one chopped-up ex-single-screener that isn’t). I saw Oliver Twist in theatre #2, which is accessed via a l-o-n-g corridor to the rear. Presumably, this was where the original rear of the theatre was. #2 is perpendicular to the other theatres, which is to say that it is on a north-south orientation, whereas the #1 and #3 are on an east-west. I’ve never been in #4, so I cannot say how that is.
Bryan’s post above is a link to Midwest Wrecking’s website. And I gotta admit, it is a cool site! Many of the photos of their demolition sites have brief histories of the buildings.
On another note, my high school, Gordon Tech, had a bowling team. They played at Waveland Bowl and Belmont Bowl.
I am glad to see that this theate, which is not very old, will continue to operate. Now I have 9 things to say to Village Theatres:
1) A
2) D
3) V
4) E
5) R
6) T
7) I
8) S
9) E
It is very hard to save old theatres these days. As I’ve said before, those that do must have deep pockets, the ability to withstand a few years of losses, and the ability to keep it booked so that it does not become a white elephant. Another problem for places like this is a lack of parking, which has probably hindered the Patio Theatre too. The Adelphi was, however, convenient to the CTA and METRA (I used to pass it everyday on my way to the train).
The loss of this theatre would be easier to take if it (or a portion of it) could have been re-used in the new development*. To a lesser extent, it would even be alright if the building replacing it had some architectural merit. But according to other posters and links, the replacement structure will be a bland cinderblock pile.
*The Hinsdale Theatre is a good example of adaptive re-use. Although it was converted to retail, the re-developers were sympathetic to the original design of the building. Even that is better than demolition.
BK, thanks for mentioning that book. I had never heard of it, but it sounds like a fascinating read. The Chicago Sun-Times had a recent series on the re-development of the Downtown Area. It examined the successes and pitfalls of this development.
BW, that could explain the row of single-story stores. They may have been trying to re-develop the block piecemeal, or the structures could have indeed been temporary in order to get a few tax dollars out of the site. I remember that the original plan was to obliterate practically the whole North Loop. Imagine the area with no Oriental/Ford Center, no Goodman, no Cadillac Palace! I’m glad that these places were retained, or in the case of the Goodman, the facades restored. Broadway and live theatre in Chicago is alive and well because of these places.
The structures in Bryan’s photo above look like they are all closed and awaiting demolition. Around the corner and across the street from the Oriental was a huge pinball and video game arcade. I just remember that block of Randolph being rather seedy. Demolishing all of it was actually an improvement!
If you compare and contrast Bryan’s 1978 and 1990 photos, you will see that State Street had been re-configured into a “Mall” (a glorified busway, actually). You can easily see that the State Street Mall was a colossal failure. It was ugly and it did nothing to stem the exodus of businesses from the Loop. Circa 1996, the City of Chicago removed the “Mall”, re-opening the street to traffic. Since then, business on State Street has gone up with stores and restaurants (like Borders Books and Nordstrom Rack) re-appearing. At one point, they proposed a Target store for block 37. On one hand, it would have made sense as Target and Marshall Fields were once owned by Target Corporation. On the other hand, there would have been no parking available for the Target.
I wonder why those single-level non-descript stores were built on the site of the Roosevelt. Certainly they knew that the entire block was going to be demolished.
Now that I remember it, between the demolition of the Roosevelt in 1979 and sometime in the early 90, there actually was a block of buildings built on “Block 37”. These were rather non-descript, single-story retail stores such as the GAP, The Limited, etc.
There definitely is work going on at Block 37. The underground “Pedway” underneath, which links Marshall Fields with the CTA Blue Line and the Daley Center is now closed (the “Pedway” east of that point to Randolph Street Station has been closed for many years) The ground has been broken up and there is construction work going on.
Thanks, bearbear 31, that clears up a lot for me. I once heard that DeYoung was from the West Side of Chicago (I can’t confirm this) so, as I said above, it could have been possible for him to have gone to the Paradise. The album, “Paradise Theatre” actually peaked in 1981 and I recall going to see Styx at the Rosemont Horizon (now called the Allstate Arena and primarily used for pro hockey). Styx had a scale model of the Paradise marquee and it was the one from the album cover. I do recall hearing that the band rehearsed in the Granada Theatre for the tour. The band again played the Horizon for the 1996 “Return to Paradise” tour. In both the 1981 and 1996 tours, Tommy Shaw played the part of a janitor/stage hand before and after the concert.
On another note, I recall reading that the original demolition contractor did go bankrupt and that the company owner committed suicide during the project.
Along with its neighbor to the South. the Michael Todd, this theatre was re-invented by M&R as the Dearborn Cinemas. As I recall, expectations of the combined theatre were quite high. M&R initially tried to get better bookings into the Dearborn.
However, things didn’t pan out that way and soon the Dearborn was back to showing second-rate fare. Kung-Fu, blaxploitation, and porno films were no longer profitable for theatre owners to show by 1985-1987 (due to the proliferation of VCRs). So, a lot of cheapie slasher/horror flix were shown here. Perhaps the North Loop Area wasn’t yet ready for a cinema. I would think that a cinema there now, showing premium fare, would do well.
Update to the above update:
Brian W,
This article explained to me the whole Plitt/Essaness/Cineplex sequence. I’ve seen the article before and if you look at my comments under the Mercury (Elmwood Park), you’ll see how I charted what happened to all of the cinemas opened by Cineplex-Odeon circa 1985-1989. Very few remain in operation as cinemas today. The champ must be the Bricktown, which operated only between 1989 and 2000.
The description above for this theatre should be changed. The Adelphi has been demolished so now the Village North is the only movie theatre left in Rogers Park.
Also, a few years ago, there was a proposal to build a new multi-plex across from the CTA’s Howard Street L Stop (Red Line). Anybody know whatever became of that plan?
Per Bobs above: Bobs, it is clear that you are not from the Chicagoland Area. I would highly advise against driving around sites like the Marbro and the Paradise. As a previous poster said, these areas are ghettoes. Enjoy the many old photos of these theatres in books, etc. It’s not worth the risk you’d take driving thru here.
I’ve often wondered how Dennis DeYoung & Styx came up with the idea of basing a concept album on the Paradise. Given DeYoung’s birthdate, it is conceivable that he went there as a small boy. I also wonder if any demolition pictures of the Paradise exist anywhere.
Cinemark Fan,
It’s hard to say. I can’t say whether or not the strip mall this theatre is in is within the Niles City Limits, or if it’s in the unincorporated area of Cook County. There are a lot of ramshackle apartments in that area (and some nice condos too). The strip mall itself is blah. As the Golf Glen theatre was once a grocery store, it would be relatively easy to convert it back to retail use. One thing’s for sure—English is definitely not the first language spoken in this area.
By the way, did you ever do your Essaness Theatres project? If so, how did it go.
Any word on what happened to this theatre? Has it been demolished? Converted to retail? Or is it still sitting vacant. I’m surprised that Classic Cinemas closed this theatre after only two years (and after expanding it).
Now it’s closed.
If you’ve read my other posts, you’ll know that I beleive certain theatres have outlived their usefulness and many have been excellent candidates for adaptive re-use (the Hinsdale is a good example of this). However, as I’ve said above, the Gateway/Copernicus Center is viable and must be retained in order to keep a sense of place to the community. Developers must realize that proximity to theatres (movie and performing arts) can be a selling point. The developers of Downtown Arlington Heights realized this when their plans included a cinema and a live theatre.
With that in mind, I foound the following article in the Chicago Sun-Times interesting. “Bike shop owner wins fight against city: Officials drop lawsuit seeking to get land for redevelopment”. The owner of Sportif, a bicycle shop across the street from the Gateway, sued the city because the city wanted to take the store away for more condo redevelopment. Big surprise, right? That big CVS that was droppped in the middle of the area was an eyesore enough. Although I have nothing against CVS, etc, places like these add nothing to the character of a neighborhood except traffic congestion.
To link to that article, go to www.suntimes.com and search for SPORTIF. Let’s have condo redevelopment, but let’s have sensible condo development that works with the surrounding community instead of being imposed upon it.
Is this theatre chain part of (or owned by) the Reynolds chain? Nova is on Reynolds’s website.
That’s okay, the Lansing just down the road will benefit from the closure of the River Oaks. If big behemoths like AMC don’t want your money, then by all means give it to the little guys like Jenco (which owns the Lansing).
That’s okay, the Lansing just down the road will benefit from the closure of the River Oaks. If big behemoths like AMC don’t want your money, then by all means give it to the little guys like Jenco (which owns the Lansing).
Hopefully this place will benefit from the closure of the River Oaks. If big behemoths like AMC don’t want your money, then by all means give it to the little guys like Jenco!
Rochelle is a really nice small city to visit. Do like I’ve done. Spend a day at the Rochelle Railroad Park (a busy crossing of the BNSF and UP Railroads), and then take in a movie at this neat (albeit subdivided) theatre.
Theatre #4 has been closed for some time. Apparantly, it is being remodeled with new seating. As a four-plex, it is oddly configured (but then again, name one chopped-up ex-single-screener that isn’t). I saw Oliver Twist in theatre #2, which is accessed via a l-o-n-g corridor to the rear. Presumably, this was where the original rear of the theatre was. #2 is perpendicular to the other theatres, which is to say that it is on a north-south orientation, whereas the #1 and #3 are on an east-west. I’ve never been in #4, so I cannot say how that is.
Which probably means that Village will take over on 1-27-06.
Bryan’s post above is a link to Midwest Wrecking’s website. And I gotta admit, it is a cool site! Many of the photos of their demolition sites have brief histories of the buildings.
On another note, my high school, Gordon Tech, had a bowling team. They played at Waveland Bowl and Belmont Bowl.
I am glad to see that this theate, which is not very old, will continue to operate. Now I have 9 things to say to Village Theatres:
1) A
2) D
3) V
4) E
5) R
6) T
7) I
8) S
9) E
It is very hard to save old theatres these days. As I’ve said before, those that do must have deep pockets, the ability to withstand a few years of losses, and the ability to keep it booked so that it does not become a white elephant. Another problem for places like this is a lack of parking, which has probably hindered the Patio Theatre too. The Adelphi was, however, convenient to the CTA and METRA (I used to pass it everyday on my way to the train).
The loss of this theatre would be easier to take if it (or a portion of it) could have been re-used in the new development*. To a lesser extent, it would even be alright if the building replacing it had some architectural merit. But according to other posters and links, the replacement structure will be a bland cinderblock pile.
*The Hinsdale Theatre is a good example of adaptive re-use. Although it was converted to retail, the re-developers were sympathetic to the original design of the building. Even that is better than demolition.
This theatre is very claustrophobic! But it is nice to see a neighborhood place still in business.
Per Cinemajunkie’s comment, I believe that Village (or whoever owned the building) received a good offer to sell the Biograph.