When the Ramova movie theater was built in 1929 by Myer O. Nathan, it was the South Side of Chicago’s main first-run cinema. Even though it sat empty since 1985, it was in better shape than its continuously occupied commercial building next door, recalls Illinois-born, Chicago-based architect Dan O’Riley. The O’Riley Office founder knows this well, as he’s been studying how to revive the site since 2017. Some seven years later, he has completed what’s now called the Ramova Theatre, a 36,000-square-foot entertainment complex—a $30 million endeavor achieved by a passionate band of locals. By Elizabeth Fazzare.
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