Business & Tech

Wheaton Grand Interior Gutted, Fundraising Continues

Efforts continue to restore the shell of a theater, but much of the timeframe and plausibility depends on donations.

The interior of the Wheaton Grand Theatre is now completely gutted, showing peeling paint and exposed piping, as advocates of the entertainment venue battle to solicit donations for its renovation and restoration, the Chicago Tribune reports.

According to the paper, with the theater having being purchased by local Jim Atten to spare it from demolition, supporters are launching a variety of raffles, parties and other fundraisers in an effort to collect $3 to $5 million to remake it as "an exciting destination for the community to enjoy... provid[ing] arts and entertainment attractions for people of all ages."

"It's still a marathon and not a sprint but I think the momentum is there," Rick Erickson, vice president of the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce board of directors, told the paper. "A lot of work is underway and a lot of work needs to be done, but so far, so good."

More information is available at the Wheaton Grand Theater website.

Read the full story at the Chicago Tribune website.


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