Roosevelt Theater

The Roosevelt Theater opened on Christmas Day 1927. The theater was part of a larger business block, the exterior of which was designed by Kenosha builder/contractor Einar Dahl. The plans for the theater proper were revised by Kenosha architect Charles O. Augustine. When it opened it noted a seating capacity of 1,000. It was part of the United Theaters chain which also operated the Vogue, the Butterfly and the Lincoln theaters in Kenosha.
Sources: "Roosevelt is Ready to Open on Christmas," Kenosha Evening News, 24 December 1927.
"New Roosevelt Is a Monument to Einar Dahl," Kenosha Evening News, 24 December 1927.

The Roosevelt was operated by master showman Bill Exton from 1939 till 1968. Bill was previously a front man for a major studio, manager of the Follies Berlesque in Detroit and local manager for Standard Theatres, Kenosha and Gateway (Rhode), in downtown Kenosha. From 1969 till 1971 theatre was operated by Ted Lenz. From 1971 till 1985 theatre was owned and operated by Carmichael and Associates. The Carmichaels renewed showmanship allowed this theatre to become the longest running movie theatre in Kenosha with over 55 years of continuous operation.
The theatre organ was removed in the 1950's in order to install modern air conditioning. The original color palate and decorative wall hangings were removed in the 1950's after a fire in a neighboring structure caused major smoke damage to the auditorium.
Seating capacity was reduced to 764 with the installation of larger "pushback" seats in the 1970's. The lobby was modernized at
the same time. This contrasted greatly with the original
auditoriums domed ceiling and ornate organ grilles. A plan in the 1970's called for the addition of a second auditorium to be added on to the west side of the original structure. This was never completed.

I really miss this theater. Many fond memories with a Snap-on outing on Christmas with popcorn balls and short cartoon films.

The Roosevelt Theatre Building with its attached storefronts and second-floor offices and parking lots is now totally vacant and for sale through Bear Realty of Kenosha WI. Roosevelt Road itself was recently streetscaped, resurfaced and upgraded to Wisconsin Highway 50. The City is installing a large parking lot next door.

I am looking for interior photos of the roosevelt, and any more information regarding its uses over the years.

Walter
bainstation@yahoo.com

Any news on the Roosevelt - I heard it might be restored and brought back to life.

The Roosevelt Theater, on Roosevelt Road east of 30th Avenue, has been empty for more than 20 years. The city has put a raze order on the building, but a group has proposed buying the building and turning it into an entertainment venue.

Revive the Roosevelt?
Sept. 27, 2007
Group hopes to save long-vacant theater from raze order
MATTHEW OLSON



The Roosevelt Theater could reopen its box office or close its curtains. The theater, built in 1927 near the intersection of 30th Avenue and Roosevelt Road, has hosted vaudeville acts, live performances and movies and housed businesses such as bowling alleys throughout its life. But for the last 20 years, the building has stood vacant.

Now a community group has come forward, hoping to revive the building as a home for the performing arts and community events. "We've put together a great group of people that are willing to put their hard-earned money and sweat equity into this and they really want to see the theater become something good for the community," said Raymond Salerno, who heads the group looking to purchase the building from Jon Gee and Kathryn Hanneman, who have owned it since 2000.

Last year, Salerno proposed a football-related event in the city, but his plan was rejected due to the city wanting more details. But Salerno said he is gathering good support for the theater project. Salerno wants to bring musical acts, comedy and family entertainment to the theater and also use it for community events. Salerno said he hopes to donate a portion of the profits back to the community.

"It will be very lengthy and costly in terms of materials, but we have some general contractors on my team that have the talent and ability to refurbish this theater for the community," Salerno said. Gee also hoped the building could be used for children's and community activities. "I couldn't imagine what this could do for the whole area," Gee said. "You see a lot of young people leaving these cities, and I think this will provide something."

Complicating matters is a raze order that was put on the building by the city in June. "We determined the cost of the repairs exceeded the values of the building," City Property Maintenance Division Supervisor Mitch Engen said. "The building continues to deteriorate, and we looked at what it would take to secure the building, and we felt we had sufficient evidence to proceed with the raze order." The building has been assessed at about $60,000.

Gee said there has been some new plumbing and other improvements performed over the last seven years, but Engen said further repairs are still needed.

Steve Casey, the alderman for this district, said he concurs with the raze order. "We've given the current owners every opportunity to develop the site for going on 10 years," Casey said. "The city has had to enforce its ordinance for tuckpointing and graffiti, and there's been no development. I think the city is tired of waiting. It's time to move things along one way or another."

Hannemann said she hoped for more cooperation from the city. "They made the decision to raze the building in the face of people willing to improve the exterior," Hannemann said. "What we are presenting is viable. These projects don't happen quickly. But as they begin to develop, more people come on board."

Gee said this building is important. "You just have so much valuable architectural history and community in there," Gee said. "There's a lot of buildings in equal or worse shape than this one. Why would you want to tear it down when it can be fixed?"

The city is not trying to block any potential sale, Assistant City Attorney Bill Richardson said. "We're not a party to that transaction," Richardson said. "We have a process that we're following with this raze order.... Does it impact the sale? I'm sure it does. But the city is not looking to stand in the way of the sale. They're just looking to protect the city."

Gee and Hannemann have filed an injunction against the raze order. A motion hearing is scheduled for Oct. 11.

In addition, the theater owners have filed a petition for local historic consideration. That request will be considered at an Oct. 16 Historic Preservation Committee meeting.

The owners said the new plans for the building are viable. "The marketing surveys in northern Illinois and Milwaukee have been very positive, and people said they would travel to a theater like that," Gee said. "People would love to have somewhere else to go. And for people who have lived in Kenosha, there's a lot of fond memories there."

Salerno said he just wants a shot at this idea. "All I'm asking for is an opportunity to show people that this theater can be a positive for the community," Salerno said. "This is about what we as a people and group can do." Gee and Hannemann ran a facility in Milwaukee that hosted a variety of musicians and have done feasibility studies for other entertainment venues.

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Discussion/News: www.onelist.com/group/RooseveltTheatre

I was wondering if anyone had an update on what happened with the Historic Preservation Committee meeting? My grandfather is Einar Dahl.

A Marr & Colton Pipe Organ, 3 Manual/7 Rank was installed in this theater in 1927. In 1951-1952 it was removed to make room for modern air conditioning. It was then installed in a church in Waukegan, Illinois. In 1989 it went to a private home in Waukegan, Illinois. As of March 1999 is was still at that home. If you know anything more about this organ, please email us!

"Gee Dad, it's a Marr & Colton!"

Tina, you may be aware that the large 1927 vertical sign read "Dahl's Roosevelt". I believe the "Dahl's" was blanked out shortly afterward but at least one photo with that configuration does exist, as do some others without it.

The owners have until spring to correct minor exterior repairs including paint touch-up and tuckpointing.

I'd say its a matter of time before the wrecking ball will be used on this old theatre. The Raze or Repair order has been issued. The person that said they had a plan, etc. seems to have vanished from the picture. There is a new preservation group forming right now but I suspect its about 10 years too late. The building is just so far gone that money needed to be raised, well, if that money was able to be raised it probably would have been and put into the Kenosha or the Rhode Opera House (aka Gateway Theatre) by now. Unfortunately it seems that those with the $$$ in this community don't see the value in our local cinema treasures. Its sad, that's for sure.

I only wish I could get a look inside this place, get some pics, before its gone for good.

I think the ruthless City Council is out of their mind for approving the site's demolition without owner consent. Instead of working to rid the asbestos, CC wants the easy way out. I commend the owner on continuing to fight for his rights, and to preserve a gem.

I think the City Council has given the owners plenty of chances but they keep dropping the ball. The Council isn't being ruthless or evil. First off, they owe a few years worth of back taxes they have not paid. If they can't pay those, what makes anyone think they can pay the amounts of money it will take to rehab the building into condition where it can be used again?

Also, if the building is deemed to be unsafe, the city can demolish it.

If they wanted to save it, all they would have had to do was pay the back taxes and then do the required weatherproofing. That has been the sitation all along, the city held off for over a year. They don't want to wait anymore.

Still a sad sitation but I think the time is up for the Roosevelt.

Thank you for your explanation! Then City Council should work with the owner and urge him to sell it to another party that can pay the taxes, and one who can clean it up on a timely basis. Life is all about chances. Even though the theater is not be safe, City Council should have a greater vision, and work with their constituency. That's the ideal of democracy.

My understanding is the building has been up for sale for years. No one wants it.

There has to be at least one party that wants it. It's only a matter of the correct person seeing it.

Well, they better step forward and fast.

Can you generate some press, and find out how much it's being sold for, or how much the owner desires? You can help him broker a deal. I am not from WI. It would be much more powerful from a WI resident.

P.S. I am a concerned NYC resident, and it's alarming how many historic theaters have been lost. They merit adaptive reuse and restoration, and the Landmarks Commission should launch the initial steps in landmarking the site, and seeing who they know. That is what City council should do in WI.

Vote your opinion on demolition here: http://wlip.com/pages/68731.php? You don't need to sign in or register.

Kenosha closes the curtain on historic theater
Dustin Block , Special to The Daily Reporter

Kenosha is tearing down one of its historic movie houses over the objections of the building’s owners.

Kathryn Hanneman and John Gee, owners of the Roosevelt Theatre since 2000, pleaded with city officials to spare the building. They want to turn the movie house into a studio for shooting commercials and television pilots. But after eight years, they’ve made no progress.

Worse, say city officials, the owners let the building deteriorate to a condition beyond repair.

“It’s a building that is in a serious state if disrepair,” said Jim Schultz, Kenosha’s director of Neighborhood Services and Inspections. “It’s a public nuisance and a public safety issue.”

But Hanneman said the city is rushing to destroy a historic property. She claims the building is made of concrete and steel girders thicker than skyscrapers, and could easily stand for years to come.

“I think it speaks to their lack of vision,” Hanneman said. “Projects like this are done all of the time. They really don’t have any reason to bring it down.”

The single-screen Roosevelt Theatre, the longest continuously screening theater in Kenosha, opened Christmas Day in 1927 and showed movies for 55 years. It was designed by architect Einar Dahl and revised by architect Charles Augustine. Capacity was originally 1,000 seats but was reduced to 764 seats in the 1970s.

Along with the movie theater, there was a bowling alley in the basement. The interior of the building is all but gone, Schultz said. The bowling alley was removed years ago, and the original organ was dismantled in the 1950s to make room for air conditioning.

The Kenosha City Council voted 14-1 on Aug. 4 to raze the building. The council approved a $37,000 contract with Champion Environmental Services Inc., Gilberts, Ill., to remove asbestos from the theater before demolition. Asbestos removal is scheduled to being in two weeks. Demolition would begin in six weeks.

Hanneman and Gee owe $150,000 in liens and back taxes on the property. They said they do not have the money to make even basic repairs to the theater. They were working with an anonymous donor to receive $500,000 for the theater, but the money was tied up in estate proceedings, Hanneman said.

Gee, an entertainment promoter from Milwaukee, said Kenosha overestimated how much it would cost to “button up” the building until money is found for restoration. His plan was to either fix the exterior and sell the theater to a developer or create a recording and television studio.

But that plan received little support from city officials, said Gee, noting that public money was available to help the Kenosha Theatre and the Rhode Opera House in the city’s downtown. When he asked for city support for the Roosevelt Theatre, he was turned away.

“We wanted a property that supports itself, not one that’s supported by the city,” he said, adding that, in retrospect, he and Hanneman didn’t have the experience needed to complete the project. “That was the weakness in our plan. We didn’t have a real estate professional in our group.”

Schultz said the city does not support tearing down historic buildings. But in the case of the Roosevelt Theatre, he said, restoration would cost more than $1 million.

“Really there’s no choice in the matter,” he said. “The owner doesn’t have the resources to make the minimum necessary repairs.”

The 12,500 square-foot theater is in central Kenosha about a mile from the city’s downtown, which includes two historic theaters, one in use and the other undergoing a $24 million restoration. The Roosevelt has not been used as a theater for more than 20 years.

There are no plans to redevelop the site, Schultz said.

Click here to see the ROOSEVELT Theatre as it looked in the mid-1930s:

24 million to restore a theater in the downtown but not a penny to save the Roosevelt. City officials should be ashamed. If the Roosevelt could be restored for 1 million then the cost to put the building to sleep until a buyer could be found would be minimal. I bet their are public funds that are being used for the downtown theater restoration.

Truth be told, the city is not putting up 24 million to restore a theater. My understanding is it would be a bond the city would co-sign on. However, at this point, nothing has been signed so to make such a statement in the paper seemed a bit odd, since its only in discussions and the city has not got on board with it. So right now, there are no city funds being used for any downtown theatre restoration.

Also, that 1 million wouldn't restore the Roosevelt, it would just weather proof it, it would take millions more to restore it and there is no interest to do so, there hasn't been for several years. I hate to say it but I can't blame the city one bit for what they are doing. Besides, every thing I've heard and read indicates there really is no theatre left there. The interior has been gutted and the basement that used to be a bowling alley was also gutted. Its, unfortunately, a shell. Unless someone can prove otherwise.

THe interior is intact except for the proscenium and some minor cases of the usual water-damage holes in flat plaster, both of which can easily be repaired.

Thanks for the info, I was only commenting on what I read in the above posts. Smaller neighborhood theaters are just as important as the big venues in city centers. I have no idea how big Kenosha is but to remove what appears to be an attractive building and replace it with an empty lot is never a good idea. If the building is concrete and steel then it can be rehabbed into something while retaining the exterior. While restoration is best, if that is imposible then adaptive reuse is better than demolition. I would venture to bet that if someone would do the math it would be less money to reuse this building than to build a new structure with poured concrete steel girders and brick. And you end up with something that is architectually nice to look at, not another bland box or worse a cheap strip mall.

How many restored theaters can a market the size of Kenosha support? If it is between the Kenosha and the Roosevelt, I'll take the Kenosha. The Kenosha is a relatively exciting atmospheric design. This looks like a run-of-the-mill period neighborhood movie theater that has served many other functions over the years. I do wish the city would retain the exterior. But it doesn't sound like they want to get into that. It sounds like they want to be done with this situation.

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. But is this really worth the effort when there are other (in my opinion better) theaters nearby that could use support?

In this day and age, unless the government steps in with grants and/or tax exemptions or a corporate or individual white knight comes in with the funds, a theater restoration has to pay for itself with a business plan that allows the theater to operate in the black once a renovation is completed. This is very difficult to do; especially when there is already another theater in town that has the same idea. Kenosha is a small town and it is unlikely the could support more than one renovated theater.

It's very easy for people to say that theaters have to be saved, but the money has to come from somewhere. A plan to use the Roosevelt as a Studio to produce commecials and pilots sounds ridiculous. TV Pilots? In Kenosha? Who's filming pilots in Kenosha? Or commercials for that matter. The point is, this scheme will not provide the income stream a bank would want to see to provide a loan for a restoration.

Unfortunately, not all theaters can be saved. We should focus on those with the best odds of success which appears to be the Kenosha theater.

I agree that the money has to come from somewhere and that not all theaters can be saved. But I have been in a lot of small towns where they tear down old buildings and put nothing up in their place and the end result is ugly. Most buildings that are solidly built can be gutted and rebuilt into something, ie; retail, office space, city gov't use, etc. If kenosha is a town where there is NO new businesses opening up or NO buildings being built then tear it down and leave a hole in the city block. Otherwise take the money that would be used to build some new strip mall and invest it in rehabbing the existing building. It's a win for everyone, the city retains a neighborhood block with some architectural character, and some new business gets a nice solid building that will be around for another 80 years. Some will say that the roof and wiring and plumbing is all bad, and that is probably true but if someone was to build a new building in town they have to build a roof and install wiring and plumbing, using the old building gives someone 4 concrete walls to start with along with a nice brick facade. There is always an alternative to demolition, My home town went from an attractive city to one that is 60% gone due to short cited city planners who could not see the value in rehabbing existing buildings and now I have a town that most blocks have gravel lots in them where buildings once stood. Most of the missing buildings could have been reused if owners were forced to maintain their holdings or have them taken away by the city and then sold to developers cheap with agreements that they were to be reused. The Roosevelt can be siezed by the city and basicly sold to a developer with a covenant in place to preserve the exterior while making the interior useful as something else. The city can make this attractive by giving tax and permit breaks to a potential buyer. It can be done. Kenosha must have stores and restaurants and professional offices etc. that could be put into this building once it has been rebuilt. Adaptive reuse is better than a gravel lot that more often than not will never be built on because the codes on new construction will not allow anything to be built.

Hi Ron, I agree wholeheartedly. It amazes me how many theaters have been razed and then sit as parking lots for decades. In today's economic environment, cities and small towns need to focus on quality of life issues more than ever before to retain business and draw new ones. Adaptive reuse has been used successfully in many cities; especially in New York where there are strong preservation laws.

I don't know if the Roosevelt is structurally unsound, but I believe it would make more sense to stabilize and mothball it until an alternate use can be found. When I said that not all theaters can be saved I was referring more to the difficulty of preserving them as entertainment venues. Many theater structures have been saved from the wrecking ball by converting them to retail stores, churches, night clubs, restaurants, etc. I don't know what would work best in Kenosha. I just know that if there is one thing the midwest has a lot of, it's empty land. We don't need another vacant lot. :-)

The ROOSEVELT Theatre: December 25, 1927 - October 6, 2008.
Demolition began this morning. RIP

Yet one more vacant lot! A shame.

I was down there taking pictures and some video. They stopped working around 1:45 or so due to a mechanical problem with the equipment. Right now the storefront to the west is all gone and part of the lobby is exposed, also the backwall into the auditoriumis gone so you can see right in. Apparently tomorrow they will finish up the front half and then start in on the auditorium.

From the Kenosha News, Oct.7, 2008:

The west side of the 80-year-old Roosevelt Theatre was taken down on Monday morning. The 80-year-old theater, which was first condemned last summer, was scheduled for demolition due to deteriorating conditions. About $150,000 in back taxes was also owed on the property. The theater hosted live performances, vaudeville and movies during its lifespan, but had been vacant for about 20 years.

The Roosevelt's last act
Crews begin demolition of historic local theater
MATTHEW OLSON

The curtain has officially fallen on the Roosevelt Theatre.

Crews from Racine-based Azarian Wrecking demolished the western side of the 80-year-old theater, 2908 Roosevelt Road, on Monday morning and the rest of the building will soon follow.

Mitch Engen, property division maintenance supervisor for the city, said there was no clear time line on when the building would be completely brought down. But the entire demolition and clean-up of the site is expected to take a few months.

Some interior preparations using cutting saws were completed and exterior barricades put in place last week to prepare for this week's more noticeable demolition of the theater, which housed live theater, vaudeville and movies during its history, but had been vacant for about 20 years. (Note: Actually since mid-March of 1985)

Asbestos was emoved from the building last month by Gilbert, Ill.-based Champion Environmental Inc. a process which Engen said took about three weeks.

The theater was first condemned in June of 2007, but building owners Jon Gee and Kathryn Hannemann filed an injunction, amid discussions of a potential buyer for the theater, and a stipulation was reached this January.

The stipulation's first deadline for paying back taxes was missed and no offer came forward for the building, setting it up for demolition again. The building's owners owed about $150,000 in taxes on the theater and the cost of weather-proofing the building was estimated at around $300,000. Hannemann spoke of a potential benefactor who was interested in donating $500,000 to the project over a number of City Council meetings this summer, but the council voted in August to take the building down when that offer did not materialize.

The site will be backfilled and covered with topsoil and grass seed. Engen said where the land goes beyond that is still to be determined.

"The land will still be owned by the owners of record, but they are behind in their taxes," Engen said. 'The county may take that land or the city look at it as a potential redevelopment site. But it will still be owned by the owners of record at the end of the year."

The contract for asbestos removal was about $37,000 and the demolition price for the theater was estimated at $147,477.

Gee or Hannemann could not be reached for comment on Monday, but City Attorney Patrick Sheehan said the city has not received notice of any further action from the owners regarding the site.

Reader Comments:

I can't say I'll miss it as I've never been there.
But it would have made a good "Live" stage for groups to do the acts before bigtime ! Another wasted chance by our famous city papa's.
hollydr
Oct. 7 - 05:54:58

What a shame! I wish the nearly $200,000 went to fixing up sidewalks versus tearing down an old building!
Pablo
Oct. 7 - 07:34:13

Breaks my heart.... Someone please send me a small peice
timarb
Oct. 7 - 08:11:19

It was a great theater !!! Went to many movies there as a teenager. I think they used to do The Rocky Horror Show too. I'd have to ask my kids or maybe someone in this forum knows. Kenosha had some great movie houses. The Lake Theater and of course The Orpheum. I'd like to know if the citizens of Kenosha can help themselves to some bricks for old times sake.
dmcs
Oct. 7 - 08:51:33

Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6u9ZVnYSxU is a brief demolition video from Monday, October 6, 2008.

<img src=\"http://thumb12.webshots.net/t/72/72/3/69/47/2570369470087069752aiNSkI_th.jpg\" alt=\"Roosevelt Theatre\"> October 6th, 2008.

I heard the entire front of the building was demolished today.

Here's something:

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=roosevelt&catpagesize=25&ProductID=35331

Here is another one.