[Steely Dan]

bridgeport's star continues to rise!

Bridgeport’s Ramova Theatre in line for $22.9 million redevelopment
With city help, the project would convert the 90-year-old movie house into a live entertainment center.

By David Roeder@RoederDavid Nov 20, 2019, 9:10am CST



The 90-year-old Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport, closed since the mid-1980s but fondly remembered for the star-like lights in its ceiling and the interior that evoked a Spanish courtyard, would be developed as a live entertainment and dining center under plans submitted to the city.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s planning agency has tentatively agreed to back the project by giving the Ramova, which is city-owned, to developers who plan a $22.9 million renovation. The city bought the theater for $285,000 in 2001 and through the years has spent $364,000 on urgent repairs, hoping for a viable offer that would save it, said a city planning official.

After 18 years, it may have gotten one from investors who have styled themselves as One Revival Chicago LLC. Its paperwork shows that it is led by Tyler Nevius of Brooklyn. Kevin Hickey, owner of the acclaimed Bridgeport restaurant The Duck Inn, is involved for the project’s dining component.

Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson (11th) said he’s thrilled about the plan, which would turn the single-screen movie house into a live-entertainment venue. He said the theater, 3518 S. Halsted St., could draw other businesses to the commercial stretch. “The theater has been a liability for the city, but it could really become something that’s positive. I think it will spill over to other improvements,” he said.

full article: https://chicago.suntimes.com/busines...ainment-center