JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) - A majestic, Depression-era theater in Jersey City is moving one step closer to being restored.
The city announced Thursday it has reached an agreement with a historic preservation group to solicit bids for a promoter and venue operator to resurrect Loew’s Theatre in Journal Square.
The announcement ends a years-long dispute between the city and Friends of the Loew’s over the future of the theater.
The theater, which has more than 3,000 seats, was built in the late 1920s in the ornate style of classic European opera houses and hosted the likes of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby and many other big names.
It eventually became a movie theater and was boarded up in the 1980s. Friends of the Loew’s has put on smaller shows there since the 1990s.
Officials hope to turn the theater into a major cultural and entertainment center that will serve as an attraction for the Journal Square area, site of numerous residential and retail development projects in the last several years.
The restoration of the theater is expected to cost about $40 million and would be funded through contributions from local developers, historic tax credits and other sources.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.