Chicago & Midwest + South Side + Retail | January 13, 2023

The historic Harper Theater in Chicago's Hyde Park, closed last November, will reopen this spring under the management of ACX Cinemas

Historic Harper Theater to Reopen Under New Management

The historic Harper Theater in Hyde Park on Chicago’s South Side is set to reopen this spring under new management after a $500,000 renovation, the Chicago Business Journal reported. Earlier this month, Omaha-based ACX Cinemas signed a 10-year lease with the University of Chicago to operate the 9,000-square-foot movie theater, located at 5234 S. Harper Ave.

Designed by Chicago architect Horatio Wilson, the Harper Theater opened in 1915 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The two-story building closed in November with the prior operator’s retirement.

ACX, a family-owned company, operates theaters, bars and restaurants in Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa. The Harper is its first location in Illinois.

Paul Bryant and Westin Kane with Mid-America Real Estate represented ACX Cinemas in leasing negotiations. Aside from installing new heated recliners and making upgrades to the lobby and concession areas, ACX plans minimal upgrades, reported the Business Journal.

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Mid-America's Bryant and Kane

About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 13-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 15-20 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).