Hyde Park Theaters
5238 S. Harper Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60615
5238 S. Harper Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60615
7 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 41 comments found
As seen from my commuter train the Hyde Park Theatres (never visited it as I’m a suburbanite) is covered with scaffolding. As it is in an area of demolition/redevelopment, is the theatre going to be renovated, or demolished? For those of you who live, or have lived, in Hyde Park or Kenwood, here’s a link to the redevelopment going on. http://www.hydepark.org/historicpres/theater.htm
http://www.archpaper.com/uploads/breaking_ground_10.jpg Rendering
The status should be renovating. The attached building has been fully restored on the exterior and looks great. The 53rd street entrance to the theatre has been re-created beautifully, and the adjacent lobby seems to have been rediscovered. The blue and gold terra cotta on Harper Court is being destroyed, unfortunately. Assuming the exterior is done as well as the attached building, this will be gorgeous when complete.
Status should be renovating !
They do have their permits now. Status should be updated assuming they’ve started actual work.
Status should be renovating !
They seem to be having trouble getting a permit. They passed review for Ventilation and Refrigeration but were denied Architectural & Fire, Disabilities, Structural, Fire Prevention, Environmental, Electrical, and Plumbing. Not sure how to interpret these. The reviews were completed in early August.
Status should be renovating !
http://news.uchicago.edu/news.php?asset_id=2266 Apparently it will reopen?
Has anything happened to this theater?
Here’s one of my pictures of the Hyde Park/Harper from a few weeks ago (notice that scaffolding has been put up):
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Also listed today as one of Preservation Chicago’s Seven Most Endangered
The Harper Theater is on Landmarks Illinois' 2008-2009 watch list of endangered properties.
Related story and photo in the Chicago Tribune
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After all that, the redevelopment proposal is dead (for now).
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I believe so, but I can’t be sure.
Was this the last Meridian Theatre to close?
Here are photos of this theatre.
Ad in the Chicago Tribune, Saturday, May 3, 1930, announced: New Harper, 53rd and Harper, Grand Opening Today, Western Electric Sound, Entirely redecorated; Jack Mulhall, Sue Carol in “Her Golden Calf.”
Cinemark Fan,
I was never inside, but I know that it retained its MERIDIAN THEATRES logo on the marquee for quite awhile after it closed and it was the last Meridian to do so.
They have been talking about this for a long time. It would not surprise me if nothing came to pass.
Oh well, I kinda knew that would be the outcome. Let me check out that city owned parking lot on 53rd & Lake Park, they said that could be ripe for a theater someday.
Anyway, what can anyone tell me about this soon-to be torn down theater? What was the lobby, layout, colors, screens and stuff like?
Here is a recent view of the Harper. The decision was announced: the Music Box proposal lost out. The theater will be demolished in about 6 months; the retail section of the building along 53rd will remain. The facade of that will be extended along the former site of the theater, with two towers imitating the style of the theater. There will be more offices and retail. See here
Here is more on the more recent developments.
The 1938 art deco remodel, costing $30,000, was carried out by architect Mark D. Kalischer, who also did remodels at the Adelphi and Portage, as well as the Drake Bowl.