(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Nearly a century after it opened as space for vaudeville performers, the Des Plaines Theatre is preparing to reopen.
Built in 1925, the Des Plaines is known for its art deco marquee on Miner Street.
The building was converted to a movie theater in the 1930s, and it operated with mixed success over the next 60 years. But it fell on hard times in the 1980s. Damage from a fire in 1982 lingered for decades.
After numerous failed attempts to renovate the building, the city of Des Plaines purchased the theater in 2018.
The city and the Rivers Casino spit the $6 million cost of renovating the building. Local music producer Ron Onesti, who operates the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, will run the Des Plaines.
He said you can sense the history inside the building.
"As you walk through it you can feel the souls and the vibe of people who walked through there in the `20s, `30s, and `40s," Onesti said.
The Des Plaines Theatre will be a convenient option for people who live in the northwest suburbs who don't want to drive to St. Charles. He says the Des Plaines and the Arcada will offer similar content.
"Probably about 80% of the time. Even though the two are in the Chicago market, they really serve different demographics,” he said.
Opening night was supposed to be Oct. 1. It has been pushed back to Halloween.
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