Times Theatre
226 N. Main Street,
Rockford,
IL
61104
226 N. Main Street,
Rockford,
IL
61104
11 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 30 comments
More funding available from the state Funds
https://www.rrstar.com/story/news/2022/08/16/rockfords-times-theater-madison-street-to-get-5m-in-grant-funds/65404561007/
Still abandoned, windows covered in black plastic, so I couldn’t see what the lobby looked like. The two pictures from 2012 of the building with the art deco tile are not the theater and should be deleted.
With all the interest in classic movies today, one would think this theater would do its duty rather than the bigger Coronado showing these films on a big screen.. Maybe the audience isn’t there?
Late `80’s promo image as The Good Times Theatre Inc. added, image credit RockfordReminisce.com Facebook page. Don’t know the span in years for this incarnation.
Ok it is now 2015 and no sign of anything happening to the Times. Anyone have any info that is current like who owns it now?
Linkrot repair: The January 8, 1938, Boxoffice article about the Times Theatre can now be seen at these links:
Page One
Page Two
The April 30 article is now at these links:
Page One
Page Two
Page Three
Does anyone have current contact information for the owner(s) of the Times?
//Ethan
never been inside times midway is stating to come along
I have heard the theater may open. I haven’t seen any activity. Is the property for sale? If so how would I go about getting information about that?
I saw “Hello Dolly” last week at the beautiful Coronado. The manager told me the TIMES theater is in the process of re-opening. Many people inspecting & photographing every corner. I was amazed the marquee is intact after all these years closed. Also he told me the MIDWAY will re-open as different theater groups are interested and have the money to do it. I passed it by and couldn’t see if the roof was still there. Still looks good.
In the late 70’s, when Plitt Theatres installed a new concession stand at the River Oaks 2-3 in Calumet City, they moved the old stand to the Times. This theatre had also been reseated with Massey Astro-Rocker seating (probably also removed from another location).
Looking for Architectural and Engineering Drawings for this building. City hall does not have them. Anyone know any archive that may have a copy? Is there a historical society in Rockford that may have a copy.
I double checked the newspaper page and it is from March 31st, 1938.
Mike, unless this house sat dark for a full year after being completed, you’re a year late on the opening date. Architect Edward Paul Lewin wrote a three-page article about the Times Theatre for Boxoffice, which appeared in the issue of April 30, 1938. It has several photos of the theater.
The January 8 issue of Boxoffice the same year had another article about the project, also penned by Lewin, which featured some of his renderings of the design.
This opened on March 31st, 1939. I uploaded the grand opening ad here.
In response to the last post about what is happening with the building…..The Times Theater was purchased a few years ago by a local investment group heavily involved with the revitalization efforts of downtown Rockford. Let me repeat, DOWNTOWN ROCKFORD, NOT I-90 ROCKFORD!
While the group is a for-profit organization, of greater importance than turning a profit is making downtown a safe, viable entertainment destination for not only Rockford, but Winnebago County and the surrounding areas as well.
How is this going to happen? That is the $64,000 question that is being worked on at the moment. The owners are concerned and deadicated businessmen, not renovators, and realize the need to collaborate with experts in this arena as well as area stakeholders.
After completion of due diligence, the owners will decide on a course of action best suited to activate the theater. These options range from establishing a public/private partnership, establishing a for-profit investment group to activate the theater, or selling the theater to a like-minded individual or group better suited to maximize the value of the theater for the community.
Thank you to everyone with a concerned interest on what becomes of the Times.
Any information on what is happening on the building?
Nice photos.
Reactivate Notification Status.
thank you!
The April 30, 1938, issue of Boxoffice Magazine featured an article by Edward Paul Lewin, architect of the recently-opened Times Theatre. The article included several photos of the house.
This article was a follow-up to an article by Lewin in the January 8, 1938, issue of the same publication, which included renderings of the Times, then still under construction.
Lewin’s plans for the house included structural elements that would support a 400 seat balcony which the owners wanted to add to the original 1000 seat auditorium at a later time, if patronage justified it. The provision for this possible balcony addition gave the Times an unusually high ceiling for a single-floor theater.
I haven’t been in Rockford all that long. I’ve never been in The Times, but I have been in The Midway. how does it compare in terms of size and condition. Information above says it seats 800. Could that be split into 2 or three theaters? Are there still seats in it, or if there are, are they in bad enough condition that they need to be torn out anyway?
The type of house that the Coronado is, is totally different from The Times – one is for live performances, the other is strictly cinema – at least as I look at the outside of the building.
Not sure who owns it now. But the Midway Theatre in Rockford is listed for sale on it’s CT page. It actually apparently had Nielson’s interest at one time. But even with the seemingly low price, it includes an entire building requiring other tenants.
Also, according to the Coronado Theatre page, which already underwent an expensive renovation, it itself is currently “hoping to break even”.
Who currently owns the building?