I just realized the Uptown got demolished. All the theaters in town were owned by the same company. When they were closed one at a time, they had deed restrictions placed on them to keep them from operating as movie theaters. This happened to the Ritz and also to the Uptown. I had inquired before the night club went in ad it wasn’t being sold as a movie theater.
It sucks honestly that we allow our historic building to be discarded and allow these restrictions to be placed on them.
The sports bar never opened. The Shady Oak will likely stay vacant for a long time. I was told the rent was very high for a single screen. The central corridor is very much over-screened. The Galleria 6 and the Esquire 7 was a couple miles away. Also, the Tivoli and the Hi-Pointe are close. These wonderful places are neighborhood theatres, unfortunately we don’t operate or support businesses that way anymore. Please think of your small businesses when you feel the urge to go to Wal-Mart or the mall.
This theatre was built as the Lyric in 1947. It closed and was demolished in the past ten years. A bank sits on the site. I saw “Beverly Hills Cop” there! The theare could have been cute, but the management wasn’t interested in cleaning it up or selling it. It had an apartment behind the projection booth, so I tried a few times to buy it. My favorite memory was the Pepsi sign in the concession stand that said “Welcome to the Cinema Theater”.
I am not denying that the Rocky Horror crowd tends to damage theatres, but Greg himself booked the title in the theatre himself. The owner of this theatre allowed it to decline and then leased it to John Moseley. John tried to clean it up after he got it, but the lack of cooperation with the owner was to much to take. The owner doesn’t have a phone and all contact had to be made via written notes taped to his mail box to get a return call.
Since the theatre closed in 1999, the owner has given sale prices of $500,000, later a million, and finally 1.5 million. He has never once even listed the property for sale. The city currently has it condemned with it’s future uncertain.
I fully understand the economic troubles of a small operator. I have worked in this industry since 1991. In the past years I have looked at quite a few theatres with the thought of running one myself. What I don’t understand is continually looking for theatres and later listing them on ebay.
This looks like a nice enough theatre. I believe I knew a previous owner some years ago. I’m curious as to why it’s listed on ebay. Wasn’t the Lawford Theatre in Havana IL also listed in a similar fashion a year or so ago? These theatres need dedicated owners, not people taking lease/purchase options on them!
I am a manager of one of these grand cinema treasures. I got on this site to research and learn more about our past and what we all could do to preserve what we have left for the future.
This thread is sickening at this point. Both Life’s too short and sctheaters need to move their “legal action” off this site.
I have been to the Lawford Theatre in Havana, IL and it needs tremendous amount of work. Regardless of whether it’s open or not, it needs so much work. Anyone that has ever said that they renovated that theatre needs to go back and finish! If anyone wants to check out the place, it’s for sale.
Please keep the drama and legal crap off this site and get on with your lives!
I was so excited to hear about the new marquee until I saw it. It has a large griffin ornament hanging on both corners. It looks like it’s straight out of a Disney cartoon.
Also, they didn’t replace the vertical. If it had one more letter it could double as a PARK sign.
I realize that much of what has been said about GVI on this site is heresay, but I have a hard time believing that 3.5 million is enough for this project.
I hope for Youngstown that it works, but considering all the past drama from GVI, I would be very cautious.
I believe the city is finally working to condemn the building. They’re are working to find an interested party to restore the theatre, but the owner is flat out crazy. I’m not talking eccentric, honestly lost in his own little world.
My previous post above was meant to say that the owner of the Avalon is the nephew of the owner of the Hi-Pointe. It was last operated by John Moseley, who runs a sub-run house in St. Charles. Yes, he has been involved in a few theatres over the years, but considering the profit margins of a sub-run theatre, I hardly find the closure of a few shocking,
Last operated in the early 80’s by Harman Moseley who then was running some art film in the then twinned theatre. I guess that didn’t work well, so he ran some soft-core and later exploitatation. The neighborhood finally complained and the city bought the building and demolished it. Now the site of a very cramped parking lot.
I was told that this theatre was open on and off again until the early 1980’s. In 2001, the theatre was converted into a retail flooring store. The stage was demolished, the projection equipment was removed, and a second floor was partially added. The equipment I removed was very much from 1953. It was like a time warp. Unfortunately, I-44 had forced the traffic away from downtown and destroyed the viability of this theatre.
I agree with Deb. Is it too late for some of you guys to stop fighting and behave like rational adults? Somehow I find it hard to believe that there isn’t a viable way to adapt the theatre building into something new. I always hate to lose a theatre, but this one obviously needs more work than anyone around there has been willing to invest. Seriously, quit acting so hateful and treat this site with dignity.
As a former manager of the Hi-Pointe, the actual address is 1005 McCausland, 63117. The bar next door is 1001. The theatre had it’s last sustantial remodel in 1963 when the Turquoise upholstered seats went in. At that time, the theatre seated 502. Over the last ten years, we have removed more for better wheelchair access and storage.
For months I have watched the seemingly endless bickering about this theatre. I agree with the post by Robert above. Would all you bickering anti-theatre folks get off this site. This is CinemaTreasures and not some whiney little Lomard taxpayer site. Have any of you folks in Lombard actually talked to each other, or do you just spread heresay on this site?
My comment about deed restrictions was referring to the practice of many companies, Kerasotes included, of selling their closed theatres under the condition that the new owner not exhibit film. In the case of the Quad, they didn’t own it so you could open it up. There are many old theatres standing all over the country that can’t be used for their intended purpose because of deed restrictions. In answer to another question, no, I don’t think the marquee was saved. It was very large.
Why is there so much drama and fighting over this theatre. It’s 2005 and we have lost so many old theatres. We should know by now that they are an asset to the rest of the area. If they do insist on demolition, they’ll regret it in 10 years. It’s a shame that it seems to boil down to a few dollars in taxes.
I sure hope we don’t start defending Kerasotes Theatres here. It’s a shame that the Quad is closed. I was told that there were structural concerns. I don’t think Kerasotes was that interested in Belleville. They sold the Ritz at the same time they closed the Quad. You could see this theatre was a great theatre by walking around. The fact is that is looked tired right after Kerasotes left. I would say that was their fault. They are the cause of the removal of the very eye catching roadside marquee. It’s a shame, but if you look through the theatres in Illinois and Indiana there are quite a few that Kerasotes had their hands on that are no longer with us. Even when the building continues standing, there is always that nasty deed restriction left behind.
Hi folks, let me point out a few facts from the Tivoli as a member of the staff from 1993-present. The previous remodel was horrible. The Arthurs took the screen off the stage and positioned it approximatey 40 feet toward the rear wall. The screen that was here when I got here was almost exactly the same size of the current screen on our stage. Why did they move it? They wanted to modernize the appearance so they draped the walls in blue fabric and installed a drop ceiling to hide the main duct work. They failed to insulate the old front end of the auditorium though so as the heating system began to fail the building became a big ole damp cave. I was told that prior to the mid 80’s that the auditorium seated 800. Around that time, Landmark installed 500 rocker seats. The entire building was truly in horrible shape when it closed in May of 1994. Every system was, or had failed. Joe Edwards bought and restored the building to what it is today. We now seat around 750 total for the three auditoriums.
It’s sad to see those pictures as I used to go there and see movies from about 1985-1992. I remember the auditoriums appeared to be twin, except for one being red and the other blue. I also remember a projection booth being accessed through the mens room. They were running discount at $1.50 a ticket and the people in the area, my folks included, didn’t seem to care about going to the movies. Someone do something with it, thge lights were cool!
I am a bit confused. I had emailed Classic Cinemas a couple months ago when I noticed that they weren’t running the Arcada. I was told the owner of the building was operating it. It would be a shame if such a nice theatre was lost after having so much work put into it. Then again, it’s sad that distribution politics and former owners deed restrictions have destroyed so many theatres chance to be reopened.
This poor theatre was “remodeled” in 1977. I found a picture from 1972 showing it in it’s original state. The theatre was sold on the courthouse steps as Arthur Enterprises went bankrupt shortly after they did this 70’s hack job. It was purchased by the brother of the Hi-Pointe. Later after his death, his son continued operation until John Moseley started a sub run policy there. At first, John cleaned up the theatre, but as the continuing battles with the landlord, the theatre suffered. He shut down in the spring of 1999. I later pulled the booth equipment and have tried since to get the city to work with a plan to reuse it. Since it had ceased operation it lost it’s grandfather status and therefore all the systems would have to be brought up to current code.
I just realized the Uptown got demolished. All the theaters in town were owned by the same company. When they were closed one at a time, they had deed restrictions placed on them to keep them from operating as movie theaters. This happened to the Ritz and also to the Uptown. I had inquired before the night club went in ad it wasn’t being sold as a movie theater.
It sucks honestly that we allow our historic building to be discarded and allow these restrictions to be placed on them.
This drive in has been for sale for years. Unfortunately, since the back end is visible from I-44, it’s future doesn’t look good.
The sports bar never opened. The Shady Oak will likely stay vacant for a long time. I was told the rent was very high for a single screen. The central corridor is very much over-screened. The Galleria 6 and the Esquire 7 was a couple miles away. Also, the Tivoli and the Hi-Pointe are close. These wonderful places are neighborhood theatres, unfortunately we don’t operate or support businesses that way anymore. Please think of your small businesses when you feel the urge to go to Wal-Mart or the mall.
This theatre was built as the Lyric in 1947. It closed and was demolished in the past ten years. A bank sits on the site. I saw “Beverly Hills Cop” there! The theare could have been cute, but the management wasn’t interested in cleaning it up or selling it. It had an apartment behind the projection booth, so I tried a few times to buy it. My favorite memory was the Pepsi sign in the concession stand that said “Welcome to the Cinema Theater”.
I am not denying that the Rocky Horror crowd tends to damage theatres, but Greg himself booked the title in the theatre himself. The owner of this theatre allowed it to decline and then leased it to John Moseley. John tried to clean it up after he got it, but the lack of cooperation with the owner was to much to take. The owner doesn’t have a phone and all contact had to be made via written notes taped to his mail box to get a return call.
Since the theatre closed in 1999, the owner has given sale prices of $500,000, later a million, and finally 1.5 million. He has never once even listed the property for sale. The city currently has it condemned with it’s future uncertain.
I fully understand the economic troubles of a small operator. I have worked in this industry since 1991. In the past years I have looked at quite a few theatres with the thought of running one myself. What I don’t understand is continually looking for theatres and later listing them on ebay.
This looks like a nice enough theatre. I believe I knew a previous owner some years ago. I’m curious as to why it’s listed on ebay. Wasn’t the Lawford Theatre in Havana IL also listed in a similar fashion a year or so ago? These theatres need dedicated owners, not people taking lease/purchase options on them!
I am a manager of one of these grand cinema treasures. I got on this site to research and learn more about our past and what we all could do to preserve what we have left for the future.
This thread is sickening at this point. Both Life’s too short and sctheaters need to move their “legal action” off this site.
I have been to the Lawford Theatre in Havana, IL and it needs tremendous amount of work. Regardless of whether it’s open or not, it needs so much work. Anyone that has ever said that they renovated that theatre needs to go back and finish! If anyone wants to check out the place, it’s for sale.
Please keep the drama and legal crap off this site and get on with your lives!
Thanks Travis
I was so excited to hear about the new marquee until I saw it. It has a large griffin ornament hanging on both corners. It looks like it’s straight out of a Disney cartoon.
Also, they didn’t replace the vertical. If it had one more letter it could double as a PARK sign.
I realize that much of what has been said about GVI on this site is heresay, but I have a hard time believing that 3.5 million is enough for this project.
I hope for Youngstown that it works, but considering all the past drama from GVI, I would be very cautious.
I believe the city is finally working to condemn the building. They’re are working to find an interested party to restore the theatre, but the owner is flat out crazy. I’m not talking eccentric, honestly lost in his own little world.
My previous post above was meant to say that the owner of the Avalon is the nephew of the owner of the Hi-Pointe. It was last operated by John Moseley, who runs a sub-run house in St. Charles. Yes, he has been involved in a few theatres over the years, but considering the profit margins of a sub-run theatre, I hardly find the closure of a few shocking,
Last operated in the early 80’s by Harman Moseley who then was running some art film in the then twinned theatre. I guess that didn’t work well, so he ran some soft-core and later exploitatation. The neighborhood finally complained and the city bought the building and demolished it. Now the site of a very cramped parking lot.
I was told that this theatre was open on and off again until the early 1980’s. In 2001, the theatre was converted into a retail flooring store. The stage was demolished, the projection equipment was removed, and a second floor was partially added. The equipment I removed was very much from 1953. It was like a time warp. Unfortunately, I-44 had forced the traffic away from downtown and destroyed the viability of this theatre.
I agree with Deb. Is it too late for some of you guys to stop fighting and behave like rational adults? Somehow I find it hard to believe that there isn’t a viable way to adapt the theatre building into something new. I always hate to lose a theatre, but this one obviously needs more work than anyone around there has been willing to invest. Seriously, quit acting so hateful and treat this site with dignity.
As a former manager of the Hi-Pointe, the actual address is 1005 McCausland, 63117. The bar next door is 1001. The theatre had it’s last sustantial remodel in 1963 when the Turquoise upholstered seats went in. At that time, the theatre seated 502. Over the last ten years, we have removed more for better wheelchair access and storage.
It’s sad that you folks have to use this board to attack each other.
For months I have watched the seemingly endless bickering about this theatre. I agree with the post by Robert above. Would all you bickering anti-theatre folks get off this site. This is CinemaTreasures and not some whiney little Lomard taxpayer site. Have any of you folks in Lombard actually talked to each other, or do you just spread heresay on this site?
My comment about deed restrictions was referring to the practice of many companies, Kerasotes included, of selling their closed theatres under the condition that the new owner not exhibit film. In the case of the Quad, they didn’t own it so you could open it up. There are many old theatres standing all over the country that can’t be used for their intended purpose because of deed restrictions. In answer to another question, no, I don’t think the marquee was saved. It was very large.
Why is there so much drama and fighting over this theatre. It’s 2005 and we have lost so many old theatres. We should know by now that they are an asset to the rest of the area. If they do insist on demolition, they’ll regret it in 10 years. It’s a shame that it seems to boil down to a few dollars in taxes.
I sure hope we don’t start defending Kerasotes Theatres here. It’s a shame that the Quad is closed. I was told that there were structural concerns. I don’t think Kerasotes was that interested in Belleville. They sold the Ritz at the same time they closed the Quad. You could see this theatre was a great theatre by walking around. The fact is that is looked tired right after Kerasotes left. I would say that was their fault. They are the cause of the removal of the very eye catching roadside marquee. It’s a shame, but if you look through the theatres in Illinois and Indiana there are quite a few that Kerasotes had their hands on that are no longer with us. Even when the building continues standing, there is always that nasty deed restriction left behind.
This seems to be a closed plex.
Hi folks, let me point out a few facts from the Tivoli as a member of the staff from 1993-present. The previous remodel was horrible. The Arthurs took the screen off the stage and positioned it approximatey 40 feet toward the rear wall. The screen that was here when I got here was almost exactly the same size of the current screen on our stage. Why did they move it? They wanted to modernize the appearance so they draped the walls in blue fabric and installed a drop ceiling to hide the main duct work. They failed to insulate the old front end of the auditorium though so as the heating system began to fail the building became a big ole damp cave. I was told that prior to the mid 80’s that the auditorium seated 800. Around that time, Landmark installed 500 rocker seats. The entire building was truly in horrible shape when it closed in May of 1994. Every system was, or had failed. Joe Edwards bought and restored the building to what it is today. We now seat around 750 total for the three auditoriums.
It’s sad to see those pictures as I used to go there and see movies from about 1985-1992. I remember the auditoriums appeared to be twin, except for one being red and the other blue. I also remember a projection booth being accessed through the mens room. They were running discount at $1.50 a ticket and the people in the area, my folks included, didn’t seem to care about going to the movies. Someone do something with it, thge lights were cool!
I am a bit confused. I had emailed Classic Cinemas a couple months ago when I noticed that they weren’t running the Arcada. I was told the owner of the building was operating it. It would be a shame if such a nice theatre was lost after having so much work put into it. Then again, it’s sad that distribution politics and former owners deed restrictions have destroyed so many theatres chance to be reopened.
This poor theatre was “remodeled” in 1977. I found a picture from 1972 showing it in it’s original state. The theatre was sold on the courthouse steps as Arthur Enterprises went bankrupt shortly after they did this 70’s hack job. It was purchased by the brother of the Hi-Pointe. Later after his death, his son continued operation until John Moseley started a sub run policy there. At first, John cleaned up the theatre, but as the continuing battles with the landlord, the theatre suffered. He shut down in the spring of 1999. I later pulled the booth equipment and have tried since to get the city to work with a plan to reuse it. Since it had ceased operation it lost it’s grandfather status and therefore all the systems would have to be brought up to current code.