“A pair of buildings once home to the Royal George Theatre on North Halsted Street in Lincoln Park are now being demolished for redevelopment. Demolition permits for 1633 and 1649 North Halsted Street were issued October 31, and now that process is underway. The property contained the two-story theatre building, a parking structure, a restaurant space, and a four-story office/commercial building.
“Developer Draper & Kramer is preparing to build a nine-story, 131-unit apartment building on the site, a project approved by the Chicago Plan Commission back in August 2023. The first floor will include 34 parking spaces and about 4,500 square feet of retail/restaurant space, plus storage for 131 bicycles. SGW Architecture & Design created the plans.
“A single-story portion of the buildings nestled between the two main structures, and once the home of Balena Italian restaurant, was removed first, with a sidewalk canopy then erected in front of the vacancy. From the alley, demo work can be seen via blue sky visible through the top floor of the four-story 1633 North Halsted. While often lumped in with 1649, which was completed specifically for the theatre in 1984, this appears to be a much older building, possibly a century-plus, though an exact completion date has proven difficult to establish. (Schell, Chicago YIMBY, 12/4/25)
“The Royal George Theatre, long one of the most important venues in the city for commercial theater entertainment, appears unlikely to reopen. With four theaters, a 452-seat mainstage and a prime Lincoln Park location on a storied thoroughfare directly across from the Steppenwolf Theatre, the Royal George long has been central to the Chicago theater scene.
“A fixture on the Chicago live entertainment scene since its construction in 1984, the Royal George theater complex has been a go-to venue for independent commercial producers seeking sit-down engagements. There are four theaters therein, along with restaurant space once occupied by Petros Dianna’s, and, later, Boka Restaurant Group and B. Hospitality Co.’s Balena. That space has been empty since a 2017 fire caused extensive damage to the restaurant.
“Notable productions over the years include the first national tour of ‘Angels in America,’ several runs of ‘Forbidden Broadway,’ ‘Killer Joe,’ ‘Love, Janis,’ ‘Forever Tango,’ ‘A Steady Rain,’ ‘Art,’ ‘Hats,’ ‘Love Letters’ and a six-year engagement of ‘Forever Plaid.’ The popular pianist Hershey Felder produced several shows in the space and the theater housed the world premiere of the show that became ‘Smokey Joe’s Cafe.’ (Jones, Chicago Tribune, 3/18/21)
Read the full story at Chicago YIMBY and Chicago Tribune
- Demolition Has Begun On Royal George Theatre Buildings, Schell, Chicago YIMBY, 12/4/25
- Royal George Theatre shows are told to leave and the theater is likely to close, Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 3/18/21
- Royal George Theatre Demolition Permits Set The Stage For Redevelopment In Lincoln Park, Daniel Schell, Chicago YIMBY, 11/2/25