Chicago & Midwest + North Side + Apartments | June 16, 2022

Closed since 2020 due to the pandemic, the Royal George Theatre may be replaced by apartments

Shuttered Royal George Theatre Could Give Way to Apartments

Draper and Kramer has offered plans for an eight-story residential building to replace the closed Royal George Theatre at 1641 N. Halsted St., the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Ald. Brian Hopkins said the developer wants to build 133 apartments on the site after the current building is demolished. The development would include ground-floor retail space and 35 parking spaces.

Hopkins told the Sun-Times the design has been modified several times following meetings with his staff. Draper and Kramer needs a zoning change before construction can start.

In an email to constituents, Hopkins said the project would include 20 units qualifying as affordable, more than the city ordinance requires. Hopkins also said the project will include housing for performers and staff from Steppenwolf Theatre across the street.

The Royal George never reopened after closing in 2020 during the pandemic. It was sold to Draper and Kramer last July for $7.08 million.

Photo courtesy of LISEC Architects.

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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).

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