Portage Theater

According to yesterday’s Chicagoist, the Portage’s owner, Eddie Carranza has a new operator in place for the theater, and the current management has not scheduled new programming beyond mid-April. This comes a week after the Commission On Chicago Landmarks granted landmark status to the Portage.

Chicagoist named “Drama at the Congress and Portage Theaters” one of its top stories of 2012.

Thanks Life’s Too Short for link. I hope the Portage makes it. Wonderful programing!

With respect, I disagree Trolleyguy. For years I’ve been hearing that Portage Park wants to bring life back to Six Corners. Having a concert venue would do that. But it doesn’t seem to be an acceptable option. To me it seems that they want to have their cake and eat it too. Or specifically, it seems that they want to bring back the mid-20th Century glory days which isn’t going to happen.

Security, underage drinking and such are problems that come along with the business. People live near each one of the venues I mentioned above and neighbors have not raised concerns about these things.

My main complaint with this situation is that Dennis and his associates seem to have been treated with disrespect.

My secondary complaint involves building maintenance. I haven’t been to the Congress in a long time. But if Carranza is running it into ground and the Portage is next that is certainly not a good situation.

“Trying Times for the Portage”, the headline of this article from the Reader.

More information on Carranza’s eviction of the Portage’s current management can be read at here. I definitely won’t see another concert at the Congress again after this, at least while Mr. Carranza owns it.

Update: The new owner of the building is Eddie Carranza, who currently operates the Congress Theater. His statement states that he is a fan of movie programming but is also interested using the theater for diversified entertainment options. Read article

More on the reported bidding by the owner of the Congress Theater for the Portage in this article from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Hopefully Dennis can pull of the financing. But, at the same time, having concerts there doesn’t seem like it would be the worst thing in the world. The obvious issues are there of course. But the Riviera, the Copernicus Center, the Park West, the Vic and others have been successfully dealing with it for years. Certainly the places I mentioned bring people to their respective neighborhoods and certainly those people spend money in nearby businesses while they are there. I can’t really see how it would hurt Six Corners.

If the church is looking at the former Belpark, they have the issue of a large liquor store and flophouse (transient hotel) directly across the street from the bingo hall. Maybe they can do outreach in the area.

The effort by a church group to buy and convert the Portage has been abandoned: View article

The zoning board meeting that was originally scheduled for June 15th has been rescheduled for July 20th at 2PM, according to the Save The Portage Theater website.

The future of the Portage is to be determined this Friday June 15th at a final zoning board meeting at 9AM. It will decide whether or not to allow the Chicago Tabernacle Church to purchase the theater for their new worship space. The church has not entertained suggestions for alternate locations in the area, including the former Belpark Theater. The Portage Park Neighborhood Association is busing 50 residents to the Loop meeting to protest the church’s purchase. Ald. John Arena and many local business owners contend that the church taking over the theater will make drawing new businesses to the Six Corners neighborhood very difficult, especially bars and restaurants, which could not serve liquor near a church. Film critic Roger Ebert has also weighed in on the side of the Portage Theater, saying, “Chicago has countless churches, but not enough theaters like the very special Portage. Help save it.”