“Plans for a South Shore entertainment center nearly a decade in the making recently advanced with approvals from the city’s zoning board, and its developer says she hopes to open the center at 71st Street and Jeffery Boulevard by the end of 2026.

“Developer South Shore Commercial Properties is planning a full-service Creole restaurant; a seven-screen, dine-in cinema; an eight-lane bowling alley and an events space at 7052 S. Jeffery Blvd.

“With the board’s approvals, the developer will apply for a new demolition permit ‘as soon as possible,’ said developer Alisa Starks, a South Shore resident and owner of Inner City Entertainment.

“Starks does not plan to preserve aspects of the Jeffery Theater or the former bank, she said. The buildings have deteriorated to the point where ‘not much is salvageable,’ she told Block Club Thursday.

“The city issued a demolition permit for the site in 2020, but that permit was later voided, said Peter Strazzabosco, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Planning and Development. A 90-day demolition delay would be triggered with a new demolition permit application, he said.

“Nonprofit Preservation Chicago placed the Jeffery Theater on its list of Chicago’s ‘most endangered’ buildings in 2023.” (Evans, Block Club Chicago, 11/1/24)

The Jeffery Theatre and Spencer Arms Hotel, located at the corner of East 71st Street and South Jeffery Boulevard in the South Shore neighborhood, was completed in 1924 and designed by architect William P. Doerr. Built as an anchor of a vibrant commercial district, these two structures still evoke the glory of the a vibrant 71st Street commercial corridor, despite alterations made during decades of disinvestment. The Jeffery Theatre, in particular, has been subjected to considerable destruction since its closure in 1976 and subsequent demolition of its auditorium. The Jeffery Theatre’s ornate terra cotta façade and lobby survive along with the residential apartments of the Spencer Arms Hotel.

Today, both the Jeffery Theatre and Spencer Arms Hotel face a serious threat of demolition. Plans were formally announced in 2017 to demolish the theater’s remaining features along with the entirety of the Spencer Arms Hotel to create a new entertainment complex on the site. Without a viable preservation solution, it is likely that both buildings will be demolished if this current reuse plan moves forward.

Preservation Chicago strongly urges that the historic Jeffery Theatre façade and lobby and Spencer Arms Hotel be incorporated into this new, planned development. The historic buildings only cover approximately 25% of the development site and perhaps with the assistance of the City of Chicago, funds could be made available to encourage incorporation of these historic structures into the proposed development plans.

Read the full story at Block Club Chicago

• Planned South Shore Entertainment Center Gets Key City Approvals
  Developer Alisa Starks, a South Shore resident, said the center with a Creole restaurant, dine-in cinema, bowling alley and events space is eyeing a 2026 opening after approvals from the Zoning Board of Appeals, Maxwell Evans, Block Club Chicago, 11/1/24
• Zoning Approved For New Entertainment Center In South Shore, Ian Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 11/2/24
• Jeffery Theater Building & Spencer Arms Hotel: a 2023 Chicago 7 Most Endangered