'Stay tuned': No deal yet for Pickwick, but theater will remain open through March
Like an old Republic serial, the future of Park Ridge's Pickwick Theatre is a cliffhanger.
Plans to announce Pickwick operations were being taken over by a different company before Thursday night's showing of "Gone with the Wind" were canceled earlier in the day because the much-anticipated deal hadn't been finalized.
"(It's) still in the hands of the attorneys," Pickwick owner Dino Vlahakis said. "Stay tuned."
Although a long-term plan for the art deco palace at 5 S. Prospect Ave. hasn't been decided, the Pickwick will remain open beyond this weekend, contrary to prior reports.
Kathryn Tobias, the Pickwick's general manager, will run the theater through March, Vlahakis said.
Vlahakis, whose family has owned and operated the Pickwick for decades, announced in December that he planned to retire and shutter the business this month.
Within days, Vlahakis was approached by movie theater operators and at least one live theater group interested in taking over the space.
Vlahakis has said he's looking for a tenant rather than someone to buy the building, which houses many other businesses in addition to the theater.
The Pickwick Theatre consists of two buildings: the historic main auditorium that opened in 1928 and seats 900 people, and a rear building with four screens.
Vlahakis expected a sold-out crowd for Thursday night's "Gone with the Wind" screening.