STILL ENDANGERED AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

Uptown Theatre Named an Endangered Historic Landmark a Third Time

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- First listed on the Landmarks Illinois* Ten-Most Endangered List in 1996, and then
again in 2001, the historic Uptown Theatre, 4816 N. Broadway, in Chicago, remains vacant, deteriorating
and without an active restoration project.

The Uptown Theatre was named again to the statewide “Top 10” endangered historic building list again
today, April 20, 2010, according to Jim Peters, president and executive director of Landmarks Illinois. The
announcement was made during a morning press conference at the statehouse.

Closed since 1981, the 1925 Balaban & Katz movie palace was listed on the National Register in 1986 and
designated a Chicago Landmark in 1991, including its remarkable Spanish Baroque interior details. The
City of Chicago, local leaders and a dedicated group of volunteers have diligently protected and promoted
the theatre through nearly three decades of absentee ownership and disinterested management.

More recently, in 2008, a new owner purchased the theatre and began planning to restore it as a live
performance venue. However, the current economic climate makes it difficult for the private owner to
secure the $40 million required to restore and reuse the theatre. City, state and federal support is needed
to help back the owner's plans and ensure a future for this neglected landmark. The Uptown Theatre
could be an impressive point of pride and economic engine for the neighborhood, city and state.

*The statewide, nonprofit historic preservation organization now known as "Landmarks Illinois" was
founded in 1971 and was known as "Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois" (LPCI) through June
2006.

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Notes: We appreciate the advocacy and attention to detail of Landmarks Illinois, its director and
president Jim Peters and the entire board, staff and membership. Please view the Landmarks Illinois web
site for more information: www.landmarks.org.

Volunteer spokesman John Holden is a 20-year Uptown resident and activist, Uptown homeowner, former
president of the Uptown Historical Society, and a longtime patron of the Uptown Theatre.

Friends of the Uptown, which has represented longtime volunteers since 1998, is a volunteer advocacy
organization dedicated to the renovation and reuse of the theatre. www.uptowntheatre.com.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

Worldwide UPTOWN THEATRE Letter-Writing Campaign Begins Today

We ask that you assert your support for the UPTOWN and advance the cause of renovating and reusing
the theatre by writing and calling the following local leaders. Our theme today is that E-MAIL IS NOT
ACTIVISM or ACTIVISM IS NOT E-MAIL. Please type or handwrite your letters today.

Please write a personal note or letter directly these leaders to tell them why the UPTOWN is important to
you, the city, the state and the region as a cultural landmark, an entertainment icon and a potential jobs
and economic engine.
Mr. Jerry Mickelson
Attn: Owners of the Uptown Theatre
c/o JAM Productions
205 W. Goethe St.
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 440-9191

Ald. Mary Ann Smith

48th Ward Community Service Office
5533 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 784-5277

Ald. Helen Shiller

46thWard Community Service Office
4544 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 728-8385

President Barack Obama

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500

Honorable Pat Quinn

Governor of the State of Illinois
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph St., Room 16-100
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-2121

Honorable Richard Durbin

United States Senator (IL)
230 S. Dearborn St., Suite 3892
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-4952

Honorable Roland Burris

United States Senator (IL)
230 S. Dearborn St., Suite 3900
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 886-3506

Mayor Richard M. Daley

Office of Correspondence
121 N. LaSalle St., Room 507
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 744-3300
Ms. Christine Raguso
Acting Commissioner
City of Chicago
Department of Community Development
121 N. LaSalle St., 10th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 744-4190

Ms. Patty Scudiero

Zoning Administrator
City of Chicago
Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning
121 N. LaSalle St., Room 905
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 744-5777

Honorable Jan Schakowsky

U.S. Representative, 9th District
5533 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 506-7100

Honorable Harry Osterman

Illinois State Representative, 14th District
5535 North Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 784-2002ý

Honorable Greg Harris

Illinois State Representative, 13th District
1967 W. Montrose Ave.
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 348-3434

Honorable Heather Steans

Illinois State Senator, 7th District
5533 North Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 769-1717

Mr. Royce Yeater

The National Trust for Historic Preservation
53 W. Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3684
(312) 939-5547

Ms. Oprah Winfrey

Harpo Studios, Inc.
1058 W. Washington Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60607