Fox Theater
1116-1128 Main Street,
Stevens Point,
WI
54481
1116-1128 Main Street,
Stevens Point,
WI
54481
2 people
favorited this theater
The original name of this historic theater is the Grand Opera House. Built by G. F. Andrae between 1893-1894, the vaudeville/stage show theater closed in 1915.
In 1920, it was reopened as the Majestic Theater and remained that way until 1928 when the Wisconsin Amusment Co. (now Fox Corp.) took over the operation of the theater and changed its name to the Fox Theater.
Remaining popular for the next six decades, the theater was last operated by Rogers Cinemas. It was kept mostly the same way, but in 1982, a previously added section of the theater was removed. Shortly afterwards, in 1985, the movie house was closed and has never reopened.
A number of groups have tried to find a use for the old Fox, but so far they have been unsuccessful.
Contributed by
Ed Wilke
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Recent comments (view all 148 comments)
The mall in Stevens Point has very few stores left in it; I think I can say that it’s dying. The area where the stage was is almost totally empty, just the mall offices left in that area. Only one major store left there and some stores and a children’s museum. To think that what killed the Fox (or put it in a deep sleep) has finally killed it’s self… The marquee lights are on for Christmas.
The topic of the downtown mall area is really hot right now; plans are to raze parts of it. The part where the stage was may be removed; fun how almost 30 years ago the city took of the stage and now the city wants to do the same with most of the mall. Almost 5.8 million dollars will be going the project if it passes in the February vote.
Lots of recent activity in the local newspaper:
View link Comments are welcome.
www.onelist.com/group/WisconsinTheatres
The unofficial vote count is Yes 2,597 No 1,925… Looks like the Fox may get its stage back some time soon. It’s hard watching a dream come true when I now live so far away from the Fox.
Is anything happening with this theatre? Those articles are years old, and the construction blog hasn’t been updated since 2009. Does anyone know anything about it’s current standing?
I am a high school student who is doing a local history project on the Fox theater. I have got a lot of basic information on its history however I would appreciate any personal stories or information on the protest in the 50’s so please post if you can help. Thanks!
Demolition could start this week on the former CenterPoint MarketPlace property, and that means time is running out on a renovation of the Fox Theater.
The city’s Community Development Authority on Monday hired Chicago-based Meridian Industrial Service Corp. to demolish the downtown mall for $278,000, $72,000 less than the lowest estimate, which was between $350,000 to $500,000 to tear down the middle of the empty building. The demolition will leave an empty space, which could allow the back of the Fox Theater to be restored. The back was removed from the theater to make space for the mall when it was built in the 1980s.
But Mayor Andrew Halverson said there is other interest in that soon-to-be-empty space. “(The owners of the theater are) going to have to move quick for us to reserve any space. We cannot just wait and not do anything because there’s potential they might do something.”
The possibility of restoring the over-century-old Fox Theater on Main Street had been used by the city and the Sanders family, who owns the building, as one of the selling points for borrowing $5.9 million to redevelop the mall area.
The Sanders family was working with a committee to restore the theater, but has yet to announce definite plans for the building. Committee spokesman Gerry McKenna said talks had come to a standstill and that the committee was waiting to hear from the Sanders family on what they wanted to do with the theater.
The mall demo is moving along, I added a picture on my Flicker account. You can finally see the back of the Fox Theater from Center Point Dr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edwilke/
The Fox Theater was donated to the Arts Alliance of Portage County on February 1, 2013
From the “Arts Alliance of Portage County” Facebook page, Febuary 2, 2013…
Gerard McKenna, community volunteer and former Dean of the College of Fine Arts & Communication at UWSP, has agreed to serve as the Fox Theatre Steering Committee Chairperson.
“I look forward to being part of the new possibilities this will present to our community”, said Gerard McKenna. The planning for the future of this great Portage County historic and architectural landmark will be a long process which includes addressing the building’s current condition, completing a historic structures report, and securing renovation funding from various sources including grants and private donations.
A fund supporting the Fox Theatre, LLC and its mission to renovate and operate the Fox has been created at the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin, 1501 Clark Street, P.O. Box 968, Stevens Point, WI 54481. Donations are being accepted at this time.