Fate Of Historic, 83-Year-Old Liberty Theater Remains Unknown

LIBERTYVILLE, IL – What is to become of the Liberty Theater remains unknown at this time after the Libertyville Village Board voted this week not to have the local landmark demolished, but rather, to put the issue back in the hands of the property owner.

The theater, which closed earlier this year, was built in 1937 and has been preserved from being demolished despite efforts by the property owner to have it torn down. But after the village board voted against having it demolished, board members have prompted the owner to seek a Certificate of Economic Hardship, the Libertyville Review reported.

In 2019, the owner of the 83-year-old theater, which is located at 708 N. Milwaukee Ave., made his case to have the building torn down and turned into green space until another use for the property could be found.

The Libertyville Historic Preservation Commission first argued against demolishing the theater in 2019. While local officials have honored the wishes of the commission since then, the board’s decision allows the property owner, Rhyan Holdings, LLC, to plead its case for demolition based on economic issues, which is provided under the economic hardship certificate.

According to village associate planner Chris Sandine, The Historic Preservation Ordinance outlines that the applicant may file for the hardship certificate, which includes information on the amount paid for the property and year, assessed valuation, real estate taxes, any mortgages, appraisals, results of listing for rent or sale, annual gross income for the property.

This information will be reviewed by the Commission and then a recommendation will be made to the Board of Trustees, Sandine said. The applicant will not need to present an alternative use for the property, which was one of the reasons the Commission initially recommended denial of demolition, as they did not know what would replace it.

According to Sandine, the Commission would like to see the building remain, although commission members understand it may not be a theater anymore.

According to the published report, board members this week continued to push not to have the theater torn down but acknowledged in their meeting that there must be evidence that the property could be economically viable to keep it in place.

Mayor Terry Weppler said this week’s meeting that a buyer appeared to be in place before the coronavirus pandemic when the deal fell through. Village officials said this week that no other potential buyers have stepped forward since, the Libertyville Review reported.