WASHINGTON PARK — The University of Chicago has begun work on a suite of arts buildings in Washington Park, starting with a 70-seat theater.
The university and artist Theaster Gates are planning a new arts center, a theater and a renovation of the oldest CTA station in the city with an outdoor area. Work on the theater started this week.
The university got its permits last week to do $60,000 in interior demolition at 323 E. Garfield Blvd., which will become a 6,600-square-foot theater building with space for a black box theater, rehearsal area, green room, dressing room and lobby.
An opening date for the theater has not been released, but the full project is expected to be completed in 2020.
The theater will be named for the Efroymson family, which contributed a $2 million matching grant in June to get the work started.
The full project, with the art center as the biggest and most expensive component, is expected to cost more than $9.5 million.
Once complete, the theater would join other Gates projects on the block, including the U. of C.'s Arts Incubator, the Currency Exchange Café and Bing bar.
