I think Ogden at one time ran past North all the way to Clark St. Someone once told me that you can spot the former path pretty easily by looking at an aerial photograph.
I’m pretty sure I once saw something about a vintage theatre in Glenview on a list from the Theatre Historical Society archives.
There also very well might have been something on the Naval Air Station before it was demolished, similar to what is found today at Great Lakes in North Chicago.
There is a big orange City of Chicago code violation sticker on the doors along McCormick now. On casual glance the movies on the marquee also looked pretty old. I think it’s over now.
I have to believe “The Tower” is dead. The credit markets are terrible, there are a huge number of units in Evanston as we speak, and at least one new development has stalled at the half-way point.
My two cents says the condo boom is over. But in the process, sleepy little Downtown Evanston was transformed into something resembling the Las Vegas Strip.
Scroll through the photo sequence and you’ll see what I am talking about.
Forgive me for saying so, but I think anyone who believes “the Lord” would want them to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars destroying an attractive and recently-renovated historical building doesn’t understand the concept of religion. Think of all the outreach ministries they could have sponsored with that money.
Many patrons of the Central Park and 20th Century must have worked there and lived nearby. This is the concept that made the neighborhood movie palace a success. It was pretty sharp marketing. Imagine working in a drab industrial setting and being able to walk down the street and hang out in a “palace”.
Looks like it was directly across from the Central Park, which would mean the liquor store was built on the west end of the theatre property after demolition. To my eye the theatre complex also looks like it was directly next door to the vintage building still found directly west of the liquor store.
Kicking himself in the ass would require honest introspection, which is not something I have ever seen in your typical real estate guy. Generally they think they can climb any mountain…until the day they end up in jail.
Let’s not forget the collapse of our financial system. Any kind of big real estate project needs to be financed. Conventional wisdom would say that it must be difficult to get a deal done at this point in time.
There is more left than I would have thought. The sky is gone, but it looks like the “castle” plaster work is more or less still there. I would think the sky would be the easier of the two to recreate.
I think Ogden at one time ran past North all the way to Clark St. Someone once told me that you can spot the former path pretty easily by looking at an aerial photograph.
I remember seeing that photo somewhere. My guess would be that I saw it either at THS or in a THS publication.
I’m pretty sure I once saw something about a vintage theatre in Glenview on a list from the Theatre Historical Society archives.
There also very well might have been something on the Naval Air Station before it was demolished, similar to what is found today at Great Lakes in North Chicago.
There is a big orange City of Chicago code violation sticker on the doors along McCormick now. On casual glance the movies on the marquee also looked pretty old. I think it’s over now.
I am not a fan of the new look. At least judging by this photograph, they made it look like a giant Starbucks.
I have to believe “The Tower” is dead. The credit markets are terrible, there are a huge number of units in Evanston as we speak, and at least one new development has stalled at the half-way point.
My two cents says the condo boom is over. But in the process, sleepy little Downtown Evanston was transformed into something resembling the Las Vegas Strip.
You are being generous.
Looks like a respectable training facility. All in all not a bad reuse.
They have begun to ravage the building:
View link
Scroll through the photo sequence and you’ll see what I am talking about.
Forgive me for saying so, but I think anyone who believes “the Lord” would want them to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars destroying an attractive and recently-renovated historical building doesn’t understand the concept of religion. Think of all the outreach ministries they could have sponsored with that money.
I’ve read this string from time to time, and don’t believe this photo has been posted to date:
http://www.fred.krauss.name/Theaters/palace.html
One of the nicer photos I have seen. Mason Rapp was responsible for putting that new vertical sign on the Bismarck Hotel.
More on the Sears complex:
View link
Many patrons of the Central Park and 20th Century must have worked there and lived nearby. This is the concept that made the neighborhood movie palace a success. It was pretty sharp marketing. Imagine working in a drab industrial setting and being able to walk down the street and hang out in a “palace”.
On a side-note, I still can’t believe that entire Sears complex directly to the north has been demolished.
Looks like it was directly across from the Central Park, which would mean the liquor store was built on the west end of the theatre property after demolition. To my eye the theatre complex also looks like it was directly next door to the vintage building still found directly west of the liquor store.
I think that is a mistaken assumption. The liquor store doesn’t look like an old 750 seat theatre to me.
The church is located at the old Central Park Theatre.
Kicking himself in the ass would require honest introspection, which is not something I have ever seen in your typical real estate guy. Generally they think they can climb any mountain…until the day they end up in jail.
Let’s not forget the collapse of our financial system. Any kind of big real estate project needs to be financed. Conventional wisdom would say that it must be difficult to get a deal done at this point in time.
URL from related web site has changed:
http://www.tuscarts.org/bamatheatre.html
Among other things there is a pretty cool virtual tour.
There is more left than I would have thought. The sky is gone, but it looks like the “castle” plaster work is more or less still there. I would think the sky would be the easier of the two to recreate.
Photos available at Cinematour:
http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/16558.html
I remember driving by this place and thinking the screen by the road looked huge.
That’s a cool web site, michigandriveins.
Lobby photos here:
http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=6159
Call these guys on the telephone. It is quite likely that they have something:
http://www.historictheatres.org/
View link
The bulb-lit marquee letters in the ‘48 photo are really cool. I guess there must have been electrical contact stips behind the front panel.