Comments from ford

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ford
ford commented about Uptown Theatre on Aug 26, 2004 at 9:21 am

So… this may seem a bit out there but, has anyone looked into a major promoter like House of Blues or Clear Channel for a funding source in this endeavor? It seems that there should be a clear and defined business plan in hand derived from past experience with the venue, yet there seems to be a real uncertainty as to what you’re going to use the venue for after it is restored. Perhaps the reality is that the demographics of the area won’t support a venue of this size. If this is the case it will have to relay on public funding to survive. It may be possible that a combination of public funding say… to buy and renovate in addition to corporate funding to maintain and promote its activity may be an appropriate (and only) means of survival.

It is easy to see how this kind of thing can let the wind out of your sail… Don’t give up! It ain’t that much money… Find a buyer that you can work with, or go door to door to raise the money to buy it back. Someone who apparently has no intentions doing any thing with it need no longer own it.

Perhaps approaching the current owner with a viable business plan could spark a renewed interest in the theater. If you can’t spark an interest you should be able to buy it cheep…

If the current owners are not making any money from the place and nobody is offering any real money to buy it then it’s not much more than a land mark in need of repair.

Sounds like a buyers market to me.

“the venue also served as a cinema, a television event broadcast venue, a rock-n-roll palace, a movie location (“Home Alone II,” “Backdraft,” “I Love Trouble” and “Soul Survivor”), a Chicago architectural and history tour destination (Chicago Architecture
Foundation, Chicago Neighborhood Tours and Theatre Historical Society of America) and a special events space (banquets, benefit dances and one wedding)”