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Chicago’s southside historical landmark Regal Theater located on the southeast corner of 79th and Stony Island has a glimmer of hope.  The property has been vacant for several years until 2014 when it was acquired by Jerald Gary, a native of Chicago and private equity investor.  In an interview with Rolling Out, Gary specified why he took the initiative to purchase the historical monument of the southside.

Hailing from the southside around 79th and Evans, Jerald Gray is well aware of the significance of the Regal Theater.  Although he had only attended one event at the theater, he still thought it was worthy enough to be acquired and bring life back into the theater and the community he grew up in and has so many great memories.

Although the purchase occurred in 2014 by Gary and investors he represents, there’s still much work to do before his target date to open in 2017.  Gary is planning to transform the theater with the latest technology with holographic projectors and his goal is to bring the stars back to performing in the Regal like back in the day.  He says:

I want to see people from the community that have made it in the entertainment industry from Chicago come back to support the venue. I want to see all of them. Everybody knows who they are. I’m not going to sit here and name a whole list. I think it’s time for our people in particular in Chicago to stand up for ourselves. We have the brand power, we have the star power. Obviously we have the culture that everybody else has appropriated. It’s time for us to appropriate our own culture and to create that district, and that content and control that content because if we’re not in control, then who gets it? ~ Jerald Gary (Rolling Out)

We hear you Jerald and concur!! EarHustle411 give KUDOS to Jerald Gary for thinking enough of the community he was raised in to put some life back into it with his acquiring the Regal Theater.