CHICAGO — The Congress Theater will have a new operator within a matter of days, owner Eddie Carranza's lawyer told a judge at a building violations hearing Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, the venue will remained closed for at least another two weeks after Congress attorney Demetris Kare asked Judge James McGing for more time to allow the lease agreement to go through.
"We're two days away from having a new lessee," he said.
McGing scheduled the next status hearing for July 25.
Kare started to ask McGing for a building inspection to be scheduled before then, but city attorney Judy Frydland protested.
"Your Honor, we're very busy," the visibly exasperated Frydland said. "We're not going to keep scheduling inspections if they're not going to reopen."
Thursday morning marked the third time the case was continued since the venue was shut down last month for violations including a months-long lighting problem on the second floor and a newer hazard created by construction work on the first floor.
The theater's closure resulted in several events being canceled, including a July 5 Marilyn Manson concert that had to be moved to the Riviera.
After the hearing, Carranza confirmed his intentions to lease the venue, but did not elaborate.
"We are in transition to [a] new operator," he said via text message.
He said construction on a new store, bar and other projects have been put on hold until that new operator — whom he did not identify — takes over.
No events are scheduled at the theater until the Evolution Music Tour, set for July 27.
