“Repairs to the 99-year-old Patio Theater, 6008 W. Irving Park Road, recently began as part of an overall plan to reopen the theater after it closed about a year ago.

“The theater’s licenses expired in May of 2025 but were renewed six months later, according to the city Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.

“In addition, in March a construction permit was issued for tuckpointing and masonry repairs, which recently began after scaffolding was installed in front of the building’s facade last week.

“In the past 25 years the property, which also includes storefronts and residential units, has faced a variety of issues, including a faulty air conditioner system and numerous building code citations.

“Those issues have included concerns about the marquee, as trucks have occasionally hit the structure because it is so close to the roadway, which reportedly was widened after the theater’s opening in 1927.

“The building’s ownership, which changed about a year ago, plans to look into grants to help pay for upgrades to the marquee, according to Chris Bauman, who said he sold his majority interest in the Patio but remains involved in efforts to get it reopened.

“A schedule of upcoming events for Patio could be announced as early as this fall, said Bauman, who also is working to reopen the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., which has been closed since 2018. (Nadig, Nadig Newspapers, 3/15/26)

Read the full story at Nadig Newspapers

• Repairs start at Patio Theater as efforts underway to reopen the historic venue, Brian Nadig, Nadig Newspapers, 3/15/26
• After A Pandemic Slump, Portage Park’s Patio Theater Ready To Create Its Next Chapter; The owner has renovated parts of the old theater since taking it over in 2019 and plans to replace the marquee, bring back its historic “cloud sky” and hook up its organ once he has enough revenue, Ariel Parrella-Aureli, Block Club Chicago, 10/6/22