The stately Uptown Theater at Lawrence and Broadway was once, probably, the greatest place in the world to see a movie. Larger than even Radio City, the Uptown was built in 1925 for the Balaban and Katz Theater company, who also gave us The Chicago Theater, The Oriental, the Cadillac Palace Theater, The Congress, the Riviera, and about 50 others in the area. more ›

The dicey fate of the historic Uptown Theatre was finally decided Tuesday, when local entertainment promoter Jam Productions purchased the vacant landmark for $3.2 million at court-ordered foreclosure sale. The Chicago-based event promoter has promised to restore the 1925 movie palace to its former glory. more ›

For those of you who keep tabs on architectural goings-on around town, the Uptown Theater saga has become old hat. Supporters of the 1925 theater first lobbied to save it in the '80s and got it registered as a Chicago Landmark in 1991. Technically it can't be torn down ... but so far no one has successfully picked up the challenge of rehabbing the severely delapidated nightspot. Enter not one, but two major entertainment companies... more ›

For the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, the answer is simple: put down the blowtorch. This year, two high-profile historic buildings have been destroyed by torch-related accidents. The Pilgrim Baptist Church, a centenarian Adler and Sullivan beauty, smoldered in January, and just a few weeks ago, scrap workers accidentally torched the Wirt Dexter Building using the same tool. The LPC calls for new laws restricting such cutting and welding operations at historic sites. Beyond these... more ›