Progress continues on Ready Theatre in Niles
Published 9:17 am Friday, July 17, 2015
As work continues on Niles’ newest venue for movies and live entertainment, people are still asking the question — when will it be ready?
Leader photo/CRAIG HAUPERT
A scissor lift allows workers reach the top of the large windows on an unfinished addition to the Ready Theatre Thursday in Niles. Owners of the building say a portion of the see-through addition will be used as a cafe for theatergoers.
Owner Carol Moore gave the same answer Thursday morning that she usually does.
“It will be ready when it’s ready,” she said.
Although she wouldn’t give an estimated completion date for the Ready Theatre, Moore provided a few details about how work is progressing.
A portion of the new addition, which is fronted with 12 large rectangular windows, will include washrooms and a cafe area where food can be prepared and served to theatergoers.
Moore said workers are in the process of finishing construction on the roof and installing gutters. After the outside is done, workers will focus their attention on the interior of the addition.
Work on the original structure, Moore said, is largely finished.
The theatre opened in the 1920s and had a seating capacity of around 1,000 before it was divided into four screens. It closed in the mid-2000s.
Work to re-open the theater began in 2012 and progress has been slow, but steady, ever since.
A 3,550-pound marquee was installed in the fall of 2013 and the windows for the addition went up earlier this spring.
