After receiving a demolition permit in early August, wrecking work on the former W. C. Reebie & Brother storage building at 5035 North Broadway in Uptown is underway. The contracting team of Milburn Demolition and Bulley & Andrews is working from the south façade, carving a hole into the side of the building and working their way inward.
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
TimeLine Theatre purchased the building in 2018, and is now doing the partial demo and renovation to create a lobby café and bar, a 250-seat flexible black box theatre that’s built to be transformative, and exhibit galleries designed to “support the immersive, interactive lobby experiences that are a TimeLine hallmark.” Backstage, there will be several areas tailored for collaboration and creation, including a rehearsal room, design and production studios, and staff offices, that fully support artists and staff in their work. The company’s Living History program will also have dedicated space for its engagement with students, and that space also will be available for community meetings and events.
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Last month, a spokesman for TimeLine Theatre confirmed that only the front portion of the Reebie building would be demolished, despite there being no mention of this being a partial demolition in the permit’s language. A previous iteration of the renovation preserved the Broadway-facing façade, but that is no longer planned to be saved.
Rendering of a previous plan for the TimeLine Theatre that would have preserved the Broadway façade, via HGA
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This iteration of reuse is great but, boy, I wish they retained the original facade
I will unjustifiably upset about the facade of this building for years to come. They told the community they were going to preserve the front, which faciliated local aldermanic blessings etc, and then almost immediately annouced they were shocked and dismayed to discover the facace was structurally unstable. I call BS on that.
Your “calling BS on that” will surely thunder throughout the community and halls of power for years to come…
I know it does nothing. But it makes me feel better for a few brief seconds.
At least it is sincere. I suspect it will have more effect than your high-handed snarkiness.
Agree with C. The original facade plan is so much better. Another instance of depressing decisions made about architecture in the city. Curtis, your snide comment doesn’t really help anything.
I worked in that building for 20 plus years. I can tell you it was rat and cockroach infested. The foundation and the roof leaked. Locals used to sleep and party in the alley and on the loading dock.
Additionally the building smelled from the elevator fire.
Do the neighborhood a favor and tear the whole thing down.