Letter from Jerry Mickelson

Editor's Note: We recently received this e-mail from Jerry Mickelson, who, as one of the principles of UTA II, bid on the Uptown Theatre at Tuesday's judicial sale. He asked us to share this message with those who signed the Uptown Theatre Petition and who stood by the Uptown Theatre over the years. If you haven't already signed the petition, we encourage you to do so, as we're still gathering signatures to show both elected officials and potential donors the importance of restoring this magnificent theatre. To stay up to date on the most recent news regarding the Uptown Theatre, sign up for the Uptown Adviser newsletter here.

Thank you for your support of the Uptown Theatre. I was hoping you could get our message out to the people who signed your petition as well as those who have supported the Uptown Theatre through thick and thin. Here is what I would like people to know.

As a fellow theatre lover, words can’t properly express my feelings of gratitude for the incredible efforts that all of you who have put forth on behalf of saving the Uptown Theatre. As all of you know, this is not just a theatre but a work of art that will never be built again which must be preserved. This masterpiece of Rapp & Rapp should live on and never ever be allowed to deteriorate to the pitiful condition it is in today.

I immediately fell in love with the Uptown Theatre the very first time I set foot in the lobby in 1974. I knew then there was something very special about this building and have felt that way ever since. It took some time for me to convince Plitt Theatres to let Jam use the Uptown Theatre for concerts but I did succeed in 1975 when we presented the Tubes on Halloween. Some of the acts that Jam brought to the Uptown included Genesis, Bob Marley, Steve Miller, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Leon Russell, Foreigner, Boston, the Grateful Dead, Hall & Oates, Lou Reed, the Electric Light Orchestra, the Kinks, Supertramp, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Rod Stewart, the Allman Brothers, Dire Straits, Rick James and Santana. The last concert that Jam presented was with the J. Geils Band on December 19, 1981 since the owner did not pay the heating bill, the washrooms were barely working and there were other issues which we felt made the theatre no longer safe for anyone to use.

As we all know, since that date the theatre began to slowly deteriorate. The Uptown fell into the hands of some very onerous owners during this chapter in time who did nothing but continue to let the Uptown waste away. I met with Muldaur and Terzakis and also with the not-for-profits run by Michael Morrison and then by Paul Warshauer to try to strike a deal for Jam to become involved with the theatre but all of them were impossible to deal with and ultimately each one of them helped contribute to the sad state of the Uptown as it sits today. It wasn’t until Bob Lunn took control that things for the Uptown started to move in the right direction.

Over this period of time Alderman Mary Ann Smith was there to protect the Uptown Theatre through this very dark phase of ownership. Without her a developer would have torn down this treasure but thankfully Alderman Smith stood up to defend this landmark time and time again. Through her efforts the City came to understand the importance and significance of the Uptown Theatre.

It’s only been one day (now going on two) since the foreclosure sale occurred. You should know there was only one bidder who showed up on July 29th to purchase the Uptown Theatre and that was UTA II, a company whose members include but are not limited to Arny Granat and myself. While initially being surprised that we were the lone bidders, we fully understand why others did not show up. The fact of the matter is that the Uptown Theatre is a daunting project that faces many challenges for it to re-open. Not only will this be a very expensive project, it will take an incredible amount of time and effort to put the pieces of this intricate puzzle together in order to insure the Uptown Theatre’s future.

We don’t have all the answers today about how all of this will come together but we do know a couple of things; (1) the Uptown Theatre now has owners who truly care about saving and preserving this architectural gem; and (2) we will reach out to all of you at the proper time to have you hopefully join with us in our effort. The Uptown Theatre would not still be here today if it wasn’t for you and Alderman Smith and probably won’t be here in the future without you and the Alderman.

Fine Lines About the Uptown Sale

From Time Out Chicago.

Fine lines about the Uptown sale
by Scott Smith

I walked in the office all ready to pontificate about the Uptown theater sale and What It All Means, but most of the relevant reporting and speculation has already been done. There’s also some context for the city’s plans that goes all the way back to the creation of Chicago’s downtown theater district...

For complete article and commentary, go to Time Out Chicago.

Jam Productions Seeks Renovation Funds

Now that Chicago-based Jam Productions has won the bid for the Uptown Theater, the search for renovation funding begins.

It'll take about $35 million to make building renovations. That's on top of the $3 million Jam Productions is already paying to buy the theater. The company is looking to get help from the city and state to meet those costs.

Jam founder Jerry Mickelson hopes to get the building back in shape for big concerts it was once known for.

MICKELSON: Obviously, you've got to be able to have the lights working and you've got to be able to have all the mechanics working. Yeah, we'll return all of those to what it needs to be. The stage will be redone so it can handle what it needs to produce on that stage.

Before Jam can get started on repairs, the company needs to acquire the proper permits and must deposit $5 million in an escrow account. It also needs to submit a compliance and rehabilitation plan for city approval. Mickelson says it could be more than five years before the theater opens.

To hear audio and read commentary, go to Chicago Public Radio.

Chicago Cubs, Cubs Ball Park, Chicago

An 18x12-inch art print is available from Chicago Cubs.

More Video Coverage of Uptown Theatre Sale

Uptown Theatre Bought by Local Rock Promoters from WBBM
CHICAGO (CBS) ― It's been nearly 30 years, but neon lights may soon be on at the Uptown Theatre. On Tuesday, local promoters bought the former movie palace and they said they plan to bring live rock concerts back. But it may take tens of millions of dollars in state and city tax dollars to get it done...

See video at: WBBM

Uptown Theatre on Fox News

Uptown Theater to be Restored

Chicago -- In its day, the Uptown Theater was a showplace. But most people see it as an abandoned relic. Now, a veteran Chicago promoter is ready to raise the curtain on a new plan. Darian Trotter reports from Uptown with what could be next.

For video, go to Fox News.

Summer at the Lake Front, Lincoln Park

This image is actually of Lincoln Park, just to the south, but the lake front would have looked much the same. It is available as a reproduction art print from here: Lake Shore.

Uptown Theatre News Even Hits the UK

Our best theatres are crumbling to dust
We don't seem to be able to produce such wonderful buildings for theatre any more

Jonathan Glancey
The Guardian

If I were king of infinite pounds or dollars, what theatre would I buy to indulge my own tastes for films, shows and music? This thought flicked to mind like an old Pathe newsreel when the story broke yesterday of the sale of Chicago's Uptown Theatre.

The Uptown isn't any old theatre, but a bravura design by the wonderfully named Rapp and Rapp, an architect duo (George and Cornelius) who produced a host of magnificent theatres across the United States. I think these ran into the hundreds. Offhand, I can think of the daunting Paramount Theatre in New York's Times Square, the Michigan in Motown, converted into a parking lot in the mid-70s, and that once great meeting place, the Ambassador in St Louis, pulled down when I was there in 1996 and replaced with what I think was a branch of the Mercantile Bank.

American cities have lost enough of these glorious buildings, and you'd think that there must surely be a list of altruistic buyers as long as the cast of a Cecil B DeMille epic only too willing to snap up such treasures and bring them back to life. I bet there's an old theatre, or cinema, not so very far from you that has either been demolished in recent years, divided up into a glum multi-screen or converted into a Bingo hall or a place of worship.

Rapp and Rapp's theatres do have one problem, and certainly for my wallet: they were usually very big, some of them incorporating offices or hotels and, like the Ambassador in St Louis, up to seventeen storeys, and possibly even more, high. This makes them expensive buildings to buy and renovate...

For complete article and commentary, go to The Guardian.

New Lawrence Hotel, Lawrence and Kenmore, Uptown Chicago

A 12x18-inch art print is available here:New Lawrence Hotel.

More Uptown Theatre Coverage from Crains

Uptown Theatre buyer calls city requirements ‘onerous’

By Eddie Baeb
July 30, 2008

(Crain’s) — The foreclosure sale of the Uptown Theatre to a venture led by Jam Productions Ltd. doesn’t mean tickets will be going on sale at the historic concert hall any time soon — or even any time in the next few years.

The restoration of the long-vacant theater could cost about $40 million and take five years or more to complete, says Jerry Mickelson, a founder and principal with Jam, a Chicago-based concert promoter...

For complete article and commentary, go to Crains

Coverage from NBC5

Uptown Theater Sold For $3 Million

CHICAGO -- The historic Uptown Theater at Lawrence and Broadway was auctioned off Tuesday morning, but the sale needs to be approved before it becomes final.

A company formed by Jam Productions was the only bidder at the auction. A Jam associate, Jerry Mickelson, previously told Crain's Real Estate Daily that the company plans to renovate the theater.

The final purchase price was $3.2 million. Foreclosure court must still approve the sale, the Sun-Times reported.

The theater could become the center of a new Uptown music district that would include the nearby Green Mill, Riviera Theater and Aragon Ballroom.

Go to NBC5 for more information.

Update from Chicago Public Radio

Uptown Theatre Sold

Ownership of the historic Uptown Theatre changed hands this morning. Once the jewel of Uptown, the theatre closed its doors in 1981 and fell into disrepair while interested parties haggled over ownership. In a procedure that took less than five minutes attorneys representing Chicago-based concert promoters Jam Productions purchased the Chicago landmark for just over $3.2 million.The theatre was purchased for the amount of the first and second mortgages on the property. The interior and exterior of the building are subject to Chicago's Landmark ordinance. That means the new owners have to restore the theatre to its original opulent state. The new owner was unwilling to comment on future uses for the building.

Go to WBEZ for continuing coverage.

Update on Sale of Uptown Theatre

Jam Productions Will solicit city, state help for renovations
By Chris Jones
Chicago Tribune critic

Chicago-based Jam Productions bought the historic Uptown Theatre at a forced judicial sale Tuesday, but it says tens of millions of dollars are needed to reopen the venerable entertainment venue.

Jam said after the sale that the long-suffering theater won't reopen without a major infusion of public money.

"Buying the Uptown is one thing, rehabbing it is another," said Jam principal Jerry Mickelson, whose UTII entity paid $3.2 million for the theater, at 4814 N. Broadway. "This will have to be a partnership between the city, the state and ourselves."

Mickelson said he expects restoration to cost between $30 million and $40 million. "No private entity could afford to put that amount of money into a theater," he said. "The Uptown can only reopen with the necessary funding from the city..."

For complete article and ongoing coverage, go here.

Uptown Theatre Sale Coverage from Chicago Neighborhoods

Historic Uptown Theatre sold

Shuttered since 1981, the 83-year-old Uptown Theatre has finally found a buyer. And thankfully it's one that plans to restore the building to the quality venue it was in its heydey. The legendary Balaban and Katz company constructed the building at 4816 N. Broadway to serve as a movie theater, the largest in the United States with 4,381seats, from 1925 through the 1960s. Then it became a music venue and stayed that way throughout the 70s, until it was shut down due to a series of maintenance problems. And if the new owners are any indication, the newly restored Uptown Theatre will once again pack in music fans rather than movie buffs.

Jam Productions, the same company that owns Lincoln Park's Park West, Lakeview's Vic and Uptown's Riveria music venues, bought the historic theater on Tuesday for $3.2 million, following a forced foreclosure sale of the property. Though some suspected that there would be multiple bidders battling for the theater, Jam ended up putting the only offer on the table...

For article and commentary, go here.

Chicago Reader Coverage of Sale of Uptown Theatre

The rest of the story behind the Uptown Theater purchase
by Ben Joravsky

In a quieter-than-predicted foreclosure sale, Jam Productions bought the Uptown Theater today for $3.2 million.

But that's only the latest step in the restoration of the historic property at Broadway and Lawrence. Jam owner Jerry Mickelson is telling reporters that he's going to need major financial assistance from the city.

And if you haven't figured it out by now, that probably means TIF money . . .

For complete article and commentary, go here.

More from the Chicago Tribune on Uptown Theatre

Jam Productions buys the Uptown Theatre
by Chris Jones

Chicago-based Jam Productions bought the historic Uptown Theatre at a forced judicial sale Tuesday, but its new owner says tens of millions of dollars are needed to reopen the venerable entertainment venue. Jam said after the sale that the long-suffering theater won’t reopen without a major infusion of public money. “Buying the Uptown is one thing, rehabbing it is another,” said Jam principal Jerry Mickelson, whose UTII entity paid $3.23 million for the Uptown, at 4814 N. Broadway. “This will have to be a partnership between the city, the state and ourselves.”

Mickelson said he expects any restoration to cost between $30 million and $40 million. “No private entity could afford to put that amount of money into a theater,” he said. “The Uptown can only reopen with the necessary funding from the city.”

The Uptown is coming into a play at an ill-timed economic moment. Mayor Richard M. Daley has ordered staff furloughs to try and fight a major budget deficit, and the state is hardly awash in surplus cash. Nonetheless, the city has expressed enthusiasm for a rehabbing of the Uptown Theatre, a high-profile building at the core of its neighborhood...

Read complete article here.

Wilson Avenue Beach, Uptown Chicago, Poster

A full-color poster of this historic image is available from Wilson Beach. Wilson Beach was located at the end of Wilson Avenue in Uptown, Chicago

Sun Times Review of Uptown Theatre Auction

Jam makes play for Uptown Theatre

July 29, 2008

BY DAVID ROEDER Staff Reporter

A long-running mystery in Chicago real estate has been solved. It’s the case of who owns the Uptown Theatre, 4816 N. Broadway.

The landmark theater, vacant for most of the last 25 years, is owned by a partnership run by Jam Productions Inc. That was the result of a court-ordered auction Tuesday in which Jam, a Chicago-based concert promoter, pledged $3.2 million to cover a second mortgage and eliminate the interest of an investment group that held the first mortgage. The auction result should be final upon approval by a Cook County judge in a few days.

The auction clears up a complex ownership dispute and allows Jam, which owns the Riviera, Vic and the Park West theaters, to begin raising money for an estimated $40 million in renovations needed before the Uptown’s 4,300-seat auditorium can re-open. Also critical will be city subsidies. A starting point in negotiations will be whether the city will forgive liens of about $1.7 million it has placed on the property...

Read complete article and commentary here.

Chicago Tribune Coverage of Uptown Theatre Sale

Jam Productions gets Uptown for $3.23M
By Chris Jones Chicago Tribune critic

As expected, an entity related to Jam Productions emerged as the highest bidder at the auction of the Uptown Theatre today.The formal purchase price was $3.23 million."This proceeding, when confirmed by the court, will confer title," said Todd Rowden, an attorney representing UTII, LLC, the entity created by Jam Productions principal Jerry Mickelson. Rowden said he expects the court to approve the sale.According to Rowden, there were two bidders at the sale. The first bid for $1.84 million was made by the Parkway Bank as mortgagee. Live Nation, which had expressed interest in the theater, did not bid.

UTII made a much higher bid but was allowed to credit-bid its judgment amount as second mortgagee. It put $1.8 million down in certified funds, and that was enough to acquire the theater, which will need millions of dollars in renovations.

For complete article and additional coverage, go here.

Uptown Theatre News, from Chicago Public Radio

When the Uptown Theatre opened at Lawrence and Broadway in 1925, it was considered a crown jewel in the Balaban and Katz movie palace empire. It was the largest free-standing theater in the country. But the theater’s elegance dimmed over the years, as the era of the movie palace faded.The Uptown closed its doors to regular events in 1981, after a decade as a rock music venue. The theater has changed hands several times since then, leaving it in a legal tangle of mortgages and outstanding debt.A number of groups have tried – and failed – to buy the Uptown, until today. Jam Productions has purchased the Uptown Theatre for just over $3.2 million at today's judicial auction. Earlier today, Chicago Tribune Theater Critic Chris Jones talked with Eight Forty-Eight about the building’s history, and its future.

Aragon Ballroom Interior

A pre-matted print of an historic view of the Aragon Ballroom can be found here: Aragon Ballroom.

Jam Buys the Uptown Theatre (Chicago) for $3.2 Million

Jam buys Uptown for $3.2M

(Crain’s) — Without any drama, a venture led by concert promoter Jam Productions Ltd. bought the historic Uptown Theatre on Tuesday for $3.2 million in a court-ordered foreclosure sale.
Jam principal Jerry Mickelson was the only bidder for the long-vacant theater at 4816 N. Broadway. The sale price was essentially a “credit bid” that covers repayment of about $1.8 million owed on a first mortgage and $1.4 million owed on a second mortgage that’s held by Mr. Mickelson’s group.

Mr. Mickelson, who has said he plans to restore the Uptown, declined comment on the sale.
The property’s ownership has been in dispute, and Mr. Mickelson — in a venture with Block 37 developer Joseph Freed & Associates LLC — began pushing for a foreclosure sale early last year when the venture acquired the defaulted second mortgage on the 4,500-seat theater.
A court still must approve the sale. Mr. Mickelson’s attorney, Todd Rowden of Thompson Coburn Fagel Haber, said he expects there won’t be any objections and that the court will grant approval soon.

“It went pretty smooth,” Mr. Rowden said. “Given the publicity, we were expecting some other bids...”

Uptown Theatre Auction News

Uptown Theatre Bidders Take the Stage; Sale to end landmark theater's ownership struggle

by Chris Jones, Tribune critic

Want to buy Chicago's historic Uptown Theatre on Tuesday? It's relatively easy.

Head to the Judicial Sales Corp., 1 S. Wacker Drive, with a certified check for 25 percent of your likely maximum bid. If you are the highest bidder, the gorgeous, 4,300-seat, 46,000-square-foot entertainment palace designed by the legendary architectural team of Rapp and Rapp and located at 4814 N. Broadway will be yours.

You'll only need at least $40 million -- the precise figures depend on who you ask -- to bring the long-shuttered, 1925 venue back to life...

For complete article and continuing coverage, go here.

Uptown Theatre Auction News from Uptown Adviser

Eight Forty-Eight (WBEZ) reporters have been working since last Friday on covering the scheduled judicial auction of the UPTOWN THEATRE property, 4816 N. Broadway, in Chicago, which is set for tomorrow, Tuesday, July 29.

The best of our collective understanding is...) This sale was rescheduled from previously cancelled dates. It is based on a judge's decision to force two parties to sell their interests to one party.

What's for sale? The property and all of its debt, including debt from previous owners borrowing against it and from liens for services provided, such as scaffolding and stabilization. Observers anticipate that two known prospects - JAM Productions and Live Nation, who each own portions of the debt - will be first in line at the sale. However, no specific plans or intentions have been made public.

Purchasing the building and its debt could be a first step toward renovation and reuse. However, one has to keep in mind that tens of millions of dollars will be needed after satisfying the purchase cost and debt in order to actually renovate the theatre for some entertainment use.
The news radio show Eight Forty-Eight airs at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on WBEZ, 91.5 FM, in Chicago and streams online via: http://www.wbez.org/Program_848.aspx

Both Crain's Chicago Business and rock critic Jim DeRogatis have covered this topic well in recent stories: Uptown Theatre draws crowd of suitors and The fight for control of the Uptown

Sun Times Coverage of Uptown Theatre Auction

The Uptown Theater: Could things finally be resolved on Tuesday?
By Jim DeRogatison July 28, 2008

A public auction has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday that may -- or may not -- finally decide which of two Chicago concert promoters will play a role in redeveloping the landmark Uptown Theater and steering its future as the jewel pin of a new Uptown music district that also will include the Riviera Theater, the Aragon Ballroom and the Green Mill.

The catch: The sale, which is due to take place at the offices of the Judicial Sales Corporation at 1 South Wacker Drive, has already been scheduled several times in recent months. Each time, it's been postponed at the last minute in what seems to be an effort by the first mortgage holder, real estate investor David Husman and the as-yet largely inactive group Broadway for Uptown, to block the second mortgage holder, a group that includes Jam Productions, from taking control of the building and moving forward with the redevelopment

Why would anyone do this? Well, Jam's arch-competitor, the national concert giant Live Nation, is also eager to control the future of the theater, it's been working with Broadway for Uptown and the city seems to favor this team over the Jam-led group. Stay tuned -- and in the mean time, for more background, check my earlier column here.

For complete article and continuing coverage, go here.

At 96, He Says He's Ready to Go

Editor's Note: I suspect that G.K. is talking about Uptown neighbor Studs Terkel...

At 96, he says he's ready to go

But I sense he wants to hang around until November, to see for himself whether Obama wins the White House.

by Garrison Keillor

July 9, 2008 | I stopped by to visit an old friend in Chicago last Sunday, and by "old" I mean 96 years but with all his faculties intact, which makes him a natural wonder you could exhibit on the carnival circuit for 2 bucks a head, children under 10 admitted free with a parent: SEE MAN BORN ON DAY TITANIC WENT DOWN -- HE TALKS, HE MAKES SENSE.

The Wonder was sitting in a deep chair under an Einsteinian burst of white hair, nibbling blueberries, his walker handy and a bottle of J&B, when I arrived around noon. Strewn on the floor were newspapers the Wonder reads to keep close tabs on the Cubs and Barack Obama. I offered to show him how to read the paper online. "That'd be like trying to bounce a meatball," said his son, across the room. "You think Obama can do it?" the Wonder asked me. "It's in the bag," I said. He frowned. He's worried. Too good to be true. I got the idea that he was planning to hang on until November and find out for himself...

You want to read the rest? Go to Wonder Has Plenty to Say