Atten has entered into an agreement with the theater’s owner, Elmhurst-based Suburban Bank & Trust. The buyer and seller have agreed on the terms of the sale, and a plan is in place to finalize the deal with a November 30, 2012 closing date. The property has been on the market since the spring of 2011, and Rick Erickson, owner of Bold Steps, Inc. and spokesman for Atten, has been part of a local community effort to save the theater. “While there is still a lot of work to do, we’re excited to move forward,” Erickson said. The theater will require significant work to restore it to its former glory, and plans for the future of the building are currently in the works. The space may combine both a performing arts and movie theater, and the hope is that it will become a hub of entertainment and activity in the downtown community. Either way, Atten intends to preserve the building’s historic look and feel. The Wheaton Grand Theater opened in 1925 with 1,000 seats and closed in the late-1990’s as a second-run movie house. After changing ownership in 2002, it reopened as a venue for concerts, classic film screenings and other community events before finally closing in 2006. The effort to preserve and restore the old theater has received significant support from residents and community leadership alike. For more information regarding the purchase of the Wheaton Grand Theater, please contact [email protected] or 630-580-9527.
