The Tower Theater, the hulking, neon-topped music hall that looms over 69th and Ludlow, is back at the center of Upper Darby’s latest tug-of-war over the future of 69th Street. The venue has been dark since 2022, and township officials, preservation advocates and nearby business owners are weighing whether it comes back as a concert hall, gets sold off, or gives way to a new mix of restaurants and public space.
Township and ownership
Township leaders say the building is owned by Live Nation and has been closed "for a while" as the company evaluates nearby properties. As reported by DELCO.Today, Rita LaRue, Upper Darby’s director of Community & Economic Development, said the township has repeatedly approached Live Nation about either partnering on the venue’s future or acquiring it outright.
A storied stage
The Tower opened in 1927 as a movie palace and vaudeville house, then survived a 1970s fire before promoter Rick Green revived it in 1972 as a major concert stop. Wikipedia lists its capacity at roughly 3,100 seats and notes that its stage has hosted everyone from David Bowie to Bruce Springsteen. Rolling Stone even included the Tower on a 2018 list of the best live music venues in the country.
Sign down, silence since 2022
The theater’s most visible calling card came down in August 2019, when crews dismantled the 100-foot-tall vertical "Tower" sign after engineers found its steel had deteriorated, according to 6abc. Local coverage notes the building later hosted an immersive Van Gogh exhibit in 2021 but has been out of regular use since 2022. The Urban Land Institute is expected to convene a technical panel in April to map out redevelopment options for the site, according to Greater Upper Darby.
Officials, civic groups and development plans
Upper Darby officials have long pitched the Tower as a potential economic anchor for 69th Street and say they have leaned on civic partners in the past to keep the corridor active. A 2021 township press release details earlier collaborations with Live Nation and the creation of a nonprofit called "Friends of the Tower Theater District," which was tied to festivals and cultural programming in the area, according to Upper Darby Township.
What’s next
Officials say the upcoming Urban Land Institute panel should deliver concrete options that the township and Live Nation, or a potential new buyer, can bring into negotiations. Local leaders cast the moment as a test of whether Upper Darby can protect a cultural landmark while still pulling fresh investment into 69th Street, according to DELCO.Today.
.jpg){kind=link}