Bill Morton has started the Citizens for saving the Adelphi Theater. Bill will be at the final two political cheering meetings the Alderman is holding this week with petitions and information.
September 26th at 7:00 p.m.
St. Scholastica
7416 N Ridge Blvd
September 29th at 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Public Library Rogers Park Branch
6907 N. Clark St.
To reach Bill by e-mail: adelphitheater@yahoo.com
6 comments:
I would like to see this building (at least it's facade) kept intact because I think if it is properly restored it would be a lovely building. However, are we fighting the development here to simply keep the building as is or is there some viable alternative? Is there funding to restore and improve the building to make it a viable business again? I wouldn't want it saved just so it can sit vacant for ten more years like the Uptown only to have millions of dollars spent on keeping it standing without having come up with a use for the space. When it comes to these kinds of projects, many people's hearts get wrapped up in nostalgia. I understand that, but can we get this building swimming again or are we just keeping it from drowning?
I tend to agree. The Adelphi right now is a bit of an eyesore. The building does not look to be in good shape. So, unless a developer or entrepreneur has some great plans to save it and make it into a viable piece to the community, why fight to save it? Maybe someone could turn it into a dollar store! Joking.
I have never been in the Adelphi, but my best guess is that it is not in the same league as the Uptown.
James,
Does this mean the historic preservation of this building is just a front to prevent development? I have seen this happen before and it really hinders "real" preservation efforts in the long run.
I worked for some time for a company that is one of the leading theater restoration companies in the U.S. - including many important theaters in Chicago, like the Music Box. I really do agree with James and Michael K. here - I'm sad to tell you that I really doubt it will be realistic to preserve this theater. Although it is old and the facade could be pretty, there is really no credible basis for landmarking it - that requires a lot more than it just being old and pretty, like architectural and historic significance etc. The amounts of money necessary for these kinds of projects are almost impossible for non-profit theater preservation groups to raise these days; the amount of time, money, will and yes, luck, required really cannot be underestimated, not to mention, as James does, the continued cost of upkeep. Exactly what kind of project would really be viable here if the building is restored? I think it is pretty clear that a single screen movie or live theater is not commercially viable. Coming up with a plan that the community likes is the least of it. Communities often come up with plans that while very well intentioned are unrealistic and pie in the sky. Many, many times I have seen communities restore an old theater with the hope that it will lead to some kind of general renewel, but trust me, successes like the Music Box are rare. Very rare.
There have been other kinds of adaptive reuse project around town that have preserved vintage theater facades, but it is unclear how that could work with the Adelphi. In order to get a developer on board for something like that would probably require some pretty persuasive incentives...something I have a hard time imagining Joe Moore getting involved with. I think that a mixed use development on Clark could bring some good, as long as the size of the units are large enough for families, the ground floor is designed to attract pedestian friendly retail and as James points out, do not create a canyon - I have not had the opportunity to look into what kind of leverage the new zoning ordinance gives us with regard to building height.
If we are really serious about this kind of stuff, and not just trying to block development for the sake of blocking development, there are ways to go about it. With our current Alderman I don't see a lot of good planned development happening though. Even if he cared, which I'm not convinced he does, it would require a level of sophistication and competence that, sorry, I have just not seen evidence of. It is good that the community begins to have a realistic discussion about what kind of development we want and what mechanisms might exist to allow us to get it, but without the right kind of elected leadership, it's just not going to happen.
I used to be a part of trying to save this theater. It really needs a lot of work. One quote Bill and I received just on the electrical work alone was over $70,000 to get fixed. What really kills me is that had the owner had taken better care of the property like leaving the heat on low during the winter time, this theater could have been saved. The fact that after January 2002, the owner simply turned the heat off caused the pipes inside the wall to burst causing major water damage to the inside. Even as Bill and I started working on the theater, water continued to leak from with-in the walls and onto the floor. Plaster was falling from the ceiling and the walls. It really would have taken a huge community effort to save. I have pictures of the inside of this theater taken in 2004 if anyone is interested. I can post them on my website. It's still a shame that this is the only remaining theater in Rogers Park. I don't consider the Village North a real theater since it's been carved up into 3 or 4 screens and doesn't have a stage where performers can act out plays etc.... The Adelphi was really a one of a kind complete with it's beautiful plaster work that Bill and I discovered covered up behind the drywall in the auditorium. It really is ashame.
For many years Ed Paschke's studio was upstairs at the Adelphi. We used to see the lights on at all hours and glimpse neon canvases lining the walls. The Adelphi Theater may crumble, but Paschke's role in modern art and in the history of Chicago and our neighborhood will endure.
Maybe someday we will have a ceremony and screw a placque into the cinder block of a luxury condo project to in his honor.
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