Aldermen have postponed spending $60,000 for a feasibility study that would gauge community support for revamping the Des Plaines Theater until they can talk to the theater’s new owners.
In November, Dhitu and Dharmesh Bhagwakar, who are brothers, purchased the 1920s Art Deco-style theater from Mt. Prospect National Bank for $920,000 after the bank abandoned plans to demolish it and build a drive-through bank on the site at 1476 Miner St.
When the bank still owned the theater, aldermen proposed the study to measure community interest in converting it to an arts center. Aldermen voted 6-2 on Monday to wait until the city can talk to the brothers about their long-term plans.
Dhitu Bhagwakar said Tuesday that he wants to talk to the city about renovating the building.
“It’s a bigger project that is going to take time and money. I’m open for talks to the city and the [Des Plaines Theater] preservation group,” he said. Douglas Bean, acting president of the grass roots Des Plaines Theater Preservation Society, said the group recently obtained non-profit status for fundraising. The group has raised $15,000 and collected 5,000 signatures on a petition urging the city to support their project to restore the building, Bean said.
The theater also is ready for listing on the National Register of Historic Places if the Bhagwakars agreed to it, Bean said. Bhagwakar said that although he favors the idea of listing the building, a final decision has not been made.
The theater has been showing only South Asian films, Bhagwakar said, but the owners plan to add second-run U.S. films soon.
