Lincoln Village 1-6
6341 McCormick Boulevard,
Chicago,
IL
60659
6341 McCormick Boulevard,
Chicago,
IL
60659
8 people
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I was over by the Lincoln Village the other day and it looks
awful. The marquee in back is broken in spots and the space
itself is covered up by these panels that have been totally defaced
by graffiti. That whole area around the theater has changed,
The shops that used to surround the theater in the back
by the box office are gone. A few upscale tenants have settled
into those spaces. It’s sad for me, the LV 1-6 was a big part of my adolescence. It was my spot back in the day. Is the plan still in place for that Jewish school to acquire the property?
The neighborhood is fine (Peterson Park to the south, West Rogers to the east, Lincolnwood to the north and west), but it’s a (1) large vacant building (2) on a busy street (3) in a shopping center, so it’s going attract vandalism regardless of the location. IMO, the marquee and signage should just be removed already and the walls aggressively painted to prevent further blight.
Thanks for the info Cinemark. I will definitely check out Rivertree as I live near Vernon Hills. I’m trying to figure out where in the Hawthorne Mall they’d put a theater? I had no idea AMC is buying Kerasotes. That’s a shame, because Kerasotes had a lot of nice theaters and AMC seems to run their theaters into the ground.
Just a small correction: Add Bricktown Square to the list of fitness centers. The sportmart is next door. I frequented Bricktown and North Riverside in my youth. Bricktown was a great theater until the neighborhood and mall started to decline and it’s good to see the North Riverside revitalized by Classic Cinemas. Too bad they couldn’t preserve many of the theaters you mentioned above.
Good luck in your quest to purchase River Oaks and Mcclurg! Have you heard anything on either?
Hey Cinemark, there was an article posted on the Broadway/Lakeshore page yesterday that it is now closing too.
It had been live theatre most recently.
Aek316,
The Bloomingdale Court (opened Dec 1989) is open under Picture Show Entertainment as a 2nd run house. The CO style lobby marble, and the neon around the auditorium entrances remain, but it’s been repainted for the most part. I believe the auditoriums themselves no longer have the zig-zag pattern on the walls.
Rivertree Court (opened Oct 1988) is still open under Kerasotes. It’s CO decor remains. It’s future however, is uncertain. Because AMC is buying Kerasotes (deal should be complete later this year, or next year), some theaters will have to be let go. AMC may run RT and the nearby Showplace 8 for a while, but they may take over Kerasotes’s plans to build a multi inside the Hawthorn Mall. If that comes to fruition, then the writing’s on the wall.
River Oaks 1-6 (opened Dec 1988) is closed with no plans (by someone else) in store. I however, hope to buy 1-6 along with 7-8, and the glorious 9-10.
North Riverside (opened Nov 1990) is open under Classic Cinemas. You can tell from the brown exterior outside, and the long corridors inside that it was a CO theater. But it’s been remodeled for the most part.
As for those built/taken over and remodeled during the 86-90 explosion, they’re all gone
Biograph (redone CO style in June 1988) is now the Victory Gardens Biograph.
Broadway (redone CO style April 1988) was closed and renamed the Lakeshore. Under new management, it was a live performance theater for comedy and other things. It is getting ready to close again. The future is uncertain.
Burnham Plaza (opened Dec 1988) is now a medical office.
Bricktown Square (opened May 1989) is a Sportmart.
Chestnut Station (redone CO style April 1988) is long gone. Walk around that corner of Clark & Chestnut, and one wouldn’t know that a five screen cineplex was even there.
900 North Michigan (opened same time as Rivertree in Oct 1988) is now a gym. It is my belief that when it was in the planning stages, it should’ve been a 4-6 screener on the upper levels of the mall. 2 screens in a basement didn’t quite fit the bill.
McClurg Court (redone CO style Dec 1987) is closed and awaiting other use. I hope to buy it and turn it into an arthouse/1st run/revival hybrid.
Oakbrook 1-4 (opened same time as McClurg) was gutted/turned into shops.
Golf Glen (redone part CO style April 1988) is now called Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5. It’s 6th screen may be a restaurant. They show Bollywood films. The decor was changed dramatically.
Grove Cinemas (opened same time as Ridge Plaza in Oct 1986) has been gutted, and part of it torn down. The rest is an Indian banquet.
Ridge Plaza (see above) was gutted inside and turned into an X-port fitness.
Commons of Chicago Ridge (opened June 1988) is now an X-port fitness.
Rice Lake Square (opened Dec 1989) is now a Linens-n-Things.
One Schaumburg Place (opened Nov 1991) was gutted inside and out. The whole complex is now the Streets of Woodfield.
It is interesting to note that Commons of CR , Ridge Plaza, and the Golf Mill (never redone CO style I don’t think) were all turned into X-port fitness centers.
Anyway, these Mesbur & Smith designed CO’s are truly endangred species. Frequent those that are still standing, otherwise they will become just distant memories.
These pictures are truly tragic and put the final nail in this theater’s coffin. All the vandalism and the marquee damage! Not only is this place not in shape to become a theater again, I feel sorry for the school that’s going in its place! Obviously the neighborhood is not so hot around there either.
Does anyone know if any theaters if any (open or closed) remain in the area with the Cineplex decor?
A_Projectionist,
If someone expressed interest in building a new theater nearby, where might one be erected?
“Why would anyone go through the expense and trouble of removing seats, screens etc if it’s going out of business anyways?”
Because people like Village Entertainment (ie Ron Rooding) want to make it as difficult as possible for the someone else to come in and start it up as a theater again. Its harder and more costy to start up a theater with everything ripped out, and you have to start from scratch. I actually met with an old fellow friend, and former District manager from Village Entertainment. He told me this building structurally is in very bad shape over neglect not only from village, but every other chain that’s operated this place. Even Cineplex Odeon themselves. Lets face it, for some reason or another this complex was never really cared about. It’ll be very interesting to how the Day school does these conversions.
Another Cineplex cinema destroyed. Can anyone tell me if any CO’s are left w/original decor (open or closed)? Why would anyone go through the expense and trouble of removing seats, screens etc if it’s going out of business anyways? So many good cinemas pointlessly destroyed by Village Entertainment. It’s criminal!
Some more interesting facts just revealed.
So I sent an email to the Hebrew day school regarding the water problem. Surprisingly I got an email back right away, and even a call (I include my number in emails). Turns out they new about it, and the city said they turned the water off.
We spoke briefly about the complex and apparently the school does have plans to convert it. He also informed me that the sound equipment, projectors, screens and seats have been pulled. Ron Rooding does not give theaters a chance when he leaves, and he made sure of that similar to the Village art which also had all of its guts ripped out after Village Entertainment left.
So I guess that’s all folks for the Lincoln Village as a movie theater. Amazing 3 theaters once coexisted and stood in this area. Now theirs none.
Is anyone responsible for this place right now? Get here quick! There is no power, the building isnt being heated and there is a heavy stream of water leaking out a back exit door.
Other then that, the building is still fairly secure.
Man, I wish I could buy this place before its too late.
Nothing has happened yet. The theatre is still sitting there boarded up. I wonder what has become of the community center plan. I also wonder if they are heating it during the winter.
Hopfully the Picture Show chain picks this up (like they did with the Bloomingdale Court) and turn it into a second-run theatre.
Amazing angle on that photo! It makes the weed look taller.
A recent photo is here:
http://www.mekong.net/random/cinema_photo379.htm
Nothing going on yet. “Pineapple Express” is still on the McCormick side marquee, from when it closed.
Orange city violation notice on the doors last I drove by.
The plan as of September 2007 was to remodel the existing building.
Is this theater slated to be demolished? Or is Cheder Lubavitch moving in to the extant building?
For the record, all of my posts to this page, should have been posted on the Lincoln Village 7-9 page instead. The address initially threw me. As did the 20 & 30 years ago time frames.
Cook County Recorder of Deeds.
Thanks for the info. How did you get ahold of it?
Oh well, looks like someone (me) will have come in and construct a new theater nearby.
It looks like Lincoln Village is done. The property was transferred to CHEDER LUBAVITCH HEBREW DAY SCHOOL on 11/20/2008, according to a deed filed 12/16/2008. There is a deed restriction that the property may not be sold until 11/20/2011.
Cinemark Fan
Nova (AKA Westridge Court) is now closed and being redone into another Hollywood BLVD Theater.
I sure will A_projectionist.
CinemarkFan, we need to have a chat about this place. Please email me at