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It looks like Christmas has come early for the city’s film exhibitors. First it comes to light that the Patio Theater will not have to close its doors (sorry, again, for failing to get the facts straight yesterday). Now the folks at Chicago Filmmakers have announced that they’ve been chosen by the city’s Department of Housing and Economic Development to redevelop and occupy a vacant firehouse in Edgewater, at 5720 North Ridge Avenue. According to a press release from the organization, the decision is expected to go before City Council in the spring for final approval.
The city issued a request this past May that the old firehouse be reused as “a commercial and/or not-for-profit development focusing on arts, re-creation, or culinary activities that are open to the public.” Looking at the building, you can understand why—the ornate design practically invites creative thought.
