Granada Theater, Chicago, 1990

One of the more heinous acts of vandalism committed by local real estate developers in the last 20 years, the demolition of the Granada Theater, which formerly stood on Sheridan Road just south of the Loyola L station.

Opened in 1926 as a venue for both live performances and movies, it switched exclusively to films in the 1940s. I remember seeing a number of movies at the Granada, including Ralph Bakshi's "Wizards" (in a double feature with Robert De Niro in "The Last Tycoon", weirdly enough) as a kid in the 1970s. It went out of business as a movie house around 1979, though it had a fleeting rebirth as a concert venue (playing host to, among others, Gary Numan in 1980 and Public Image Ltd. in 1982) before it finally closed its doors for good. It was demolished in January, 1990.

As a final insult, the ugly cracker box apartment tower that was eventually built on the site was named the Granada Center. Read more here.

Also, be sure to check out: The Granada Theatre — A Series of Photos Taken Prior to Its Demise



Tags: 1926, 49th Ward, 60626, 60645, cracker box apartment tower, Granada Center, Granada Theater, heinous acts of vandalism, local real estate developers, Rogers Park