Journal Reporter

Local activists are now turning to the public as they continue their attempts to save the old Des Plaines Theater building.

The Des Plaines Theater Preservation Society has announced that it will hold a series of community meetings throughout Des Plaines during the next several weeks, in order to give the public an opportunity to ask questions about the Society's proposal to turn the old theater into a performing arts center.

The first "theater information" meeting will be held on Thursday, Apr. 11 at 7 p.m., at The Heritage retirement center in Des Plaines, at 800 S. River Rd.

Society members will deliver a short presentation on their plans to acquire, restore, and renovate the theater. Audience members will then be invited to ask questions.

Society spokesman Dan Dix says the meetings will be held throughout most of the city's eight wards, and will be advertised with flyers in those neighborhoods.

While the meetings are designed to give the public more specific information about the Society's plans, they are also part of an effort to drum up community support for the project, which faces opposition in city council.

Aldermen. Tom Becker (6th) and Dick Sayad (4th) have each have questioned the cost of the project and the Society's ability to raise sufficient funds.

Like Mayor Tony Arredia, they have both expressed concerns that such a project could drain city finances, and have vowed that no city money will be directed to the project.

Dix previously told the Journal that the Society would be asking for assistance from the city in acquiring the property, though the kind of assistance was never specified.

But now, Dix says, "We don't need funding from the city." The Society will be able to raise enough money for its multi-million dollar proposal, he says, through "fundraising, grants, and programs available to the city."

Confident that the 78 year-old building will be granted a place on the National Register of Historic Places, Dix says the City of Des Plaines will be eligible to apply for state and federal grants to help pay for the theater's renovation, without cost to the community.

According to Dix, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which administers the federal National Register program, has made a preliminary determination that the theater meets initial "credibility requirements" as a historically significant site.

Dix says he hopes the community meetings will also help to launch serious fundraising efforts for the theater project, which is estimated to cost between $5.5 and $7.2 million.

Dix says the Society has collected "a couple grand, or something like that," so far, though he says the group has not begun aggressive fundraising efforts yet.

"Before we really push on [fundraising], we need to get not-for-profit status," he said. The Preservation Society has taken the first step toward that goal by incorporating, and Dix says the organization will soon apply for non-profit status.

Once deemed a non-profit, Dix says that all donations to the "Save the Theater Fund" will be tax-deductible, retroactive to the time of incorporation.

Contributions to the fund are currently being administered by Covest Banc. If the Society's fundraising efforts are successful, Dix says all proceeds will be turned over to the newly created Des Plaines Performing Arts Center, "or any other established public foundation formed as a result of efforts to save the Des Plaines theater."

If the effort is not successful, the Society says all contributions will be donated to a Des Plaines charity such as the Des Plaines Arts Council or the Des Plaines Historical Society.

The Mount Prospect National Bank, whose holding company still has an option to buy the property, had planned to construct a new bank on the site - providing it could obtain a conditional use permit from the city council to include a drive-through service.

But the bank recently withdrew its application for the permit, citing a need to re-evaluate its plans in light of the continuing controversy over the future of the building.

Observers expect the bank to reapply for the permit if the Preservation Society fails to make its case to the public and the city council. The council is expected to schedule a meeting to hear the Society's proposal in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the Society may find itself in something of a vicious circle regarding its funding for the theater. Society member Paul Saletnik has acknowledged that getting corporate sponsors for the project won't be easy without city backing. At the same time, obtaining backing from the city isn't likely without firm commitments from outside sources.

That's why the Society hopes to build support at their newly scheduled series of information meetings. Following the initial session at The Heritage on Apr. 11, subsequent public meetings on the theater are scheduled to take place on Apr. 24, May 2, May 8, and May 16, at times and locations to be announced.