The long-idle Portage Theater in Portage Park just cleared one of its biggest hurdles. After a Thursday building court hearing, the new owner says years of unpaid property taxes are finally off the books and a court-appointed receiver that had been managing the building is being discharged. The neon is not flicking on tomorrow, but two of the ugliest financial and legal clouds hanging over the landmark have moved out of the way, and neighbors along with preservation boosters are cautiously celebrating a tangible step toward getting the place open again.
What changed at Thursday's hearing
Owner Chris Bauman told Nadig Newspapers that he is already looking ahead to the day the doors finally reopen, calling it a happy moment he hopes will end with a ribbon cutting and a full events calendar. He added that his team has started footing the bill for the canopy beneath the marquee and is now covering utility costs while the behind-the-scenes work continues.
What Bauman bought and cleared
Bauman picked up the Portage late last year for just $25,000 and, according to Preservation Chicago, moved quickly to tackle more than $500,000 in overdue county property taxes. Wiping out the tax lien was required to transfer clear title, and it also unlocks potential financing and grant options that are tied to the Portage’s landmark status.
Engineering reports, permits and the timeline
As part of the city’s 2024 building-code lawsuit, Chicago officials ordered structural-engineering reports on the marquee and the east façade. Those reports were submitted on Wednesday and will now go under review at the Department of Buildings, Nadig Newspapers reports. The case is set to return to building court in April, when a judge is expected to decide if more documentation or repairs are needed before the matter is fully cleared.
Why preservationists have watched this building
Opened in 1920 and shuttered since 2018, the Portage is one of those neighborhood movie palaces that still turns heads. Its ornate terra-cotta façade and historic auditorium helped it earn city landmark status in 2013. Preservation groups later sounded the alarm again when the theater landed on Landmarks Illinois' 2024 list of the state’s 10 most endangered sites, a callout highlighted by the Chicago Sun-Times that funneled more attention and local fundraising energy toward the building.
Legal and permitting hurdles
The property’s recent history has been messy, with code violations and ownership fights piling up. The city filed suit in 2024 and a judge brought in a receiver to oversee a temporary canopy and scaffolding under the marquee to protect pedestrians, Block Club Chicago reported. Even now, with taxes paid off and the receivership winding down, Bauman still has a list of bureaucratic boxes to check, including securing building permits and a public-place-of-amusement license before concerts, film screenings or any other crowds can legally return.
What’s next for the Portage
Looking ahead, Bauman has said he plans to launch a nonprofit foundation tied to the theater and host events that can help build support while crews continue stabilization work and address code issues, according to Preservation Chicago. For now the progress is mostly procedural, with major financial barriers removed yet months of historic rehab, inspections and permitting still ahead before the Portage can flip the lights back on for good.
