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New Regal Theater
1641-59 E. 79th St., Chicago
(Cook County)
Originally built as the Avalon in 1927, this is a prime
example of the “atmospheric” motion picture palace. It
was designed in a Middle Eastern/Moorish-style by noted
movie palace architect John Eberson. The 2,300-seat
theater has changed hands several times over the years
and has functioned as a church, a cultural venue, and a
live performance space. In 2010, the New Regal was cited
for dangerous exterior wall conditions by the City of
Chicago and a court case was started to monitor its
condition. The building has since gone into foreclosure
and is expected to be sold through a judicial sale this
summer. In the meantime, needed repairs have not been
undertaken.
With its large onion-domed roof seen by thousands of
drivers on the Chicago Skyway everyday, the New Regal,
with the Uptown Theater on the North Side and the
Chicago Theater downtown, is considered one of the
city’s largest and most extravagant movie palaces. Its
Middle Eastern, Moorish design was reportedly inspired
by a Persian incense burner that the architect found in
an antique market. John Eberson became nationally famous
as a designer of atmospheric motion picture palaces, in
which the audience sits within an imaginary courtyard,
surrounded by exotic buildings under a star-filled sky.
Under its original name the Avalon, it continued to
function as a movie theater from the 1940s until the
late 1970s, when it was purchased by a church.
In 1987, it was sold to a non-profit foundation, with
partial funding from a $1 million
Illinois Development Action Grant. Following a major
interior renovation, the theatre was renamed in honor of
the Regal Theater, a long-time center for the performing
arts in the city's African-American community that had
been demolished in 1973. The “New Regal” was designated
a Chicago Landmark on June 17, 1992. In 1998, a $550,000
emergency repair grant was given by the City for repairs
to the dome and stabilization of its minarets.
The renovated theater was mainly a live performance
venue, and continued to be operated by the New Regal
Foundation until 2003. In 2008, the Prime Time Group
Inc. (PTG) purchased the theater from the foundation,
performed upgrades to the interior and held events there
until 2010. However, required repairs were not addressed
and, in 2010, the New Regal was cited for dangerous wall
conditions by the City. A receiver appointed by the
City’s building court estimated temporary exterior
repairs to cost $45,000. PTG has since declared
bankruptcy and the FDIC has begun foreclosure
proceedings. The property could be sold by the FDIC
through judicial sale, perhaps as early as June or July
2011.
Despite the necessary exterior wall repair work, the New
Regal theater space is in good condition and largely
operational. Vacant assembly spaces, when unused and
not routinely maintained, can quickly deteriorate due to
unheated air in the building and possible damage due to
broken plumbing or unmaintained equipment, as well as
the threat of scavengers. There is a small window of
opportunity to prevent this theater from that fate and
becoming a ‘white elephant’ that would be economically
difficult to salvage. A capable new owner is needed
immediately.
What You Can Do
Interested theater or performing arts operators can call
Landmarks Illinois for more information.
Additional Links
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