Chicago's Largest Abandoned Theater

A recent link was posted on another site of some urban explorer photos in Chicago's Uptown Theater. The 4,381 seat theater is about 7 miles North of the Chicago Loop. As of this day, the theater has been abandoned for 30 years. It was recently purchased by a company with experience in renovating and restoring theaters into successful venues, and owners are in the process of securing financing for the $40 million it will take to restore it. In the meantime, portions of the historic facade were put into storage to prevent damage and will be returned when restoration work begins.

http://www.undercity.org/Chicago_Upt...ERY/index.html

Wow a whopper at 4381 seats! Beauty! Thanks wolverine!

The 4,381 seat Uptown Theatre is Chicago's largest theatre. It was Chicago theatre architects C. W. & George L. Rapp's [[known as Rapp & Rapp) largest theatre commission.... the 2nd largest was the 4,084 seat Brooklyn Paramount and 3rd came Detroit's 4,050 seat Michigan Theatre.

Rapp & Rapp were famous for their French Renaissance and Baroque theatres, in a style called "Rapp & Rapp Versailles"... and there were over 100 theatres [[such as the Michigan) it this style.

The Uptown Theatre was designed in a Spanish Renaissance style however... Rapp & Rapp's only foray into the Spanish Style.

When Chicago's theatre developers Balaban & Katz asked the Rapp brothers to design the Uptown, they instructed them "to leave patrons awestruck".

David Naylor, the author of several movie palace book was not too sympathetic of the Uptown's design. He said that the lobbies of the Uptown "resembled a bunch of overdecorated railroad concourses laid end to end".

Size wise the Uptown is about as big as the Detroit Fox... but it has a smaller balcony that resembles what in theatre jargon is called a "shelf balcony". The Uptown is a very wide theatre [[unlike the narrower Michigan). It's main floor has 9 aisles [[while the narrower Michigan had 6).

Apparently the roof of the theatre appears to have been for the most part well maintained, which accounts for much of the plasterwork not sustaining a lot of damage. And even the lighting system appears to still be in working order [[although that will likely have to be replaced and brought up to modern code).

It is unusual for a major US city to have its' largest movie palace outside of the downtown area [[in this case 7 miles away). I cannot think of any other major American city where that was the case.

Luckily the north Chicago area around the Uptown is a gentrified part of town... and only a block or so away from the Uptown is the Aragon Ballroom.

The Aragon was designed in 1926 by fellow movie palace architect John Eberson [[Grand Riviera Theatre, Kalamazoo State Theatre). It was beautifully designed as a Spanish style atmospheric ballroom that held 6,000. Unfortunately today it is certain death for listening to concerts... and the horror stories are legendary for poor sight lines as well.

They need to turn it back into just a ballroom. Atmospheric theatres and ballrooms do NOT make for good concert venues.
http://www.planet99.com/chicago/bars..._ballroom.html

Now getting back to the Uptown Theatre... good luck with that renovation... I hope they're successful.

I'm really glad to read this. Finally some good news for a change.

Wow, that is crazy well-preserved for 30 years of abandonment. Do scrappers and vandals just not exist in Chicago?

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Originally Posted by Augustiner

Wow, that is crazy well-preserved for 30 years of abandonment. Do scrappers and vandals just not exist in Chicago?

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Most of the doors are steel plated shut. It would be impossible to get in unless you knew someone involved with the building, which is how they got those photos I'm guessing.

With all the street cameras in this area, it's doubtful scrappers would get very far. Also owning and operating a pick-up truck in the City of Chicago requires a whole other level of permits and fees, and heavy regulation regarding cargo and where it can legally be carried on city streets.

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Originally Posted by Gistok

It is unusual for a major US city to have its' largest movie palace outside of the downtown area [[in this case 7 miles away). I cannot think of any other major American city where that was the case.

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Balaban & Katz had a little empire in Chicago. They already had the Tivoli on the South Side, among other outlying locations, and their Chicago Theatre covered downtown. They tried to not have much overlap between the venues. The Uptown was a natural addition. The Uptown area already had a higher end crowd and drew celebrities. Essanay Studios [[home to Charlie Chaplin before he went west) was one of the drawing factors there.

Balaban & Katz theaters in the 1920s had a movie/stage show format. The stage shows, new each week, would originate at the Chicago then "tour" the other area theaters in turn. Film director Vincente Minnelli got his start with B&K as a costume and set designer in Chicago, then went to New York with B&K in the late 1920s when they merged with Adolph Zukor's Famous Players-Lasky Corporation to become part of the Publix theater chain, which was melded in with Zukor's other concern, Paramount Pictures, to become Paramount-Publix. By 1936 Barney Balaban was President of Paramount Pictures.

Uptown links of interest:

http://www.compassrose.org/uptownthe...ory-intro.html

http://www.uptowntheatre.com/

Lilpup... no Chicago theatre lobby could match the French Renaissance magnificence of the 3,414 seat Tivoli Theatre [[sadly razed in 1963).....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/5455159271/

The only other Rapp & Rapp designed theatre lobby that could match the magnificence of the Tivoli... was the French Baroque magnificence of the former 4,050 seat Detroit Michigan Theatre...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/5455784998/

Might be abandoned, it was not neglected and had to fend for itself. Lots of stuff still there, the drapes are not torn and most important, the electricity is still working. If this takes $40.000.000 to restore, I hate to guess what the bill would be of the UA in the end...

Whitehouse... the size and scale of the Detroit United Artists Theatre does not compare with the Uptown... you could probably fit 6 UA auditoriums within the auditorium of the Uptown.

$40 million might not be far off the mark for a restoration of the Detroit UA. More ruined... yes, but much smaller scale with much less lobby and circulation space.

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Originally Posted by wolverine

Most of the doors are steel plated shut. It would be impossible to get in unless you knew someone involved with the building, which is how they got those photos I'm guessing.

With all the street cameras in this area, it's doubtful scrappers would get very far. Also owning and operating a pick-up truck in the City of Chicago requires a whole other level of permits and fees, and heavy regulation regarding cargo and where it can legally be carried on city streets.

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Cripes why can't or couldn't owners of Detroit buildings put steel over the doors? Too cheap? Too lazy?

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Originally Posted by GOAT

Cripes why can't or couldn't owners of Detroit buildings put steel over the doors? Too cheap? Too lazy?

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They'll just steal the steel doors.

But here's one of those weird exceptions:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=LAke+S...50.62,,0,-1.98

This brand new light industrial building on Damen never got finished because the developer went broke at the beginning of the recession. It's been standing wide open for almost 2 years now. A peak inside reveals not much damage, and the copper pipes and electrical has been left untouched. I'm happy that whomever owns it has had such luck, but I'm stunned the place is still intact....especially since it's in somewhat of a rougher area. Luckily they got smart and temporarily covered those windows in plexiglas

I was in the Uptown in 1978, when it was still operating under Plitt theatres management, It was amazingly intact, and compared almost exactly to the Fox in terms of condition at that time. I was part of the young "Guerrilla" theatre savers who were quietly keeping the Fox theatre whole--the roof patched, the basement dry, securing the light fixtures to prevent the crooked projectionist from selling them out the back door. The Uptown looked "just like home" to us. Shame that it had to sit and decline so much in the last 30 years.

Thanks for the history 56packman....

There are a few "outlying giants" among movie palaces that may have a future after all... the Uptown is probably the largest of them.

In the outlying burroughs of New York, it's amazing that Loew's 5 Wonder Theatres are all still intact. The Loew's Jersey in Jersey City is being lovingly restored. The Loew's Kings in Brooklyn [[where Barbra Streisand was an usher in the 50s) appears to be on its' way back... the Loew's Paradise in the Bronx also is being lovingly restored... and the other 2 Wonder theatres... the Loew's 175th St [[Manhattan). and Loew's Valencia [[in Queens) are still maintained as churches.

In Boston the heart rendering Keith's Memorial has been lovingly restored as the Boston Opera House [[although the city's opera company doesn't perform there).

It's nice to see that many of the theatres that have been rotting for decades are being brought back to life... just like many of Detroit's downtown venues have...

Gistok, looks like a southisde Chicago theater is getting rehabbed. Not as beautiful as the uptown, but still very interesting

http://chicago.curbed.com/tags/construction-watch

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Originally Posted by wolverine

Most of the doors are steel plated shut. It would be impossible to get in unless you knew someone involved with the building, which is how they got those photos I'm guessing.

With all the street cameras in this area, it's doubtful scrappers would get very far. Also owning and operating a pick-up truck in the City of Chicago requires a whole other level of permits and fees, and heavy regulation regarding cargo and where it can legally be carried on city streets.

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I really don't understand all the hate for Chicago on this board. It seems that Chicago has come up with some perfectly viable, if not great, solutions for many problems that have plagued urban centers. Why do we waste time, money, and resources even in prolonged discussions on reinventing the wheel.

Chicago scrappers are obviously lazy and not up to par with our own.

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Originally Posted by East Detroit

Chicago scrappers are obviously lazy and not up to par with our own.

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On the subway the other day I saw stickers that said "Detroit Hustles Harder"

The Uptown had the roof replaced about 2 1/2 years ago - along with some other stablization work. It's certainly not in any imminent danger, but financing for the theatre has been hard to come by. Jerry Mickelson of JAM productions is co-owner and is pretty tight lipped when it comes to news or restoration progress. All we know is he plans on restoring it - when is another matter. I have been advocating for it nearly 3 years now, and we have quite a following on Facebook. I still have yet to go into the theatre - I can't wait for that day! Uptown is "gentrified" if you will - but is a long way from being where we'd like it. It is heavily populated by gangs and there are alot of shootings right south of that area. The Riviera is also right there with the Aragon. Mayor Rahm has suggested funding for an entertainment music district [[along with the Greenmill). We'll see how far that gets. Regardless - we are all awaiting the return of the Uptown.

Also - not too far from where I live is the Congress Theatre which although very dirty remains very intact. It was nearly 4000 seater in it's day and does primarily concerts now. It is in a spanish speaking neighborhood which is in the process of gentrification. While the Congress continues to operate, I hope to see it refurbished at some point in the next 10 years. It does not have it's movie showing capability at this time.

I believe the only theatre in Chicago that has it's original carbon projectors is the Gateway which is now a polish community center. I am obsessed with the history of Detroit and it's theatres even though I live in Chicago. We are lucky to have the theatres we have left. Chicago, Oriental, Palace, Majestic - downtown. Now we just need to bring the Uptown back - it's the last one that awaits.

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Originally Posted by wolverine

Gistok, looks like a southisde Chicago theater is getting rehabbed. Not as beautiful as the uptown, but still very interesting

http://chicago.curbed.com/tags/construction-watch

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nice to see so many of those new "developments" are as bland as the new condo/loft projects around here