MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 in 2017.
The Uptown Theater hasn't had its final curtain call, after all.
In May the theater will reopen as a new multi-purpose venue for live music, comedy shows, meetings, speakers, plays, corporate events and more.
The theater closed back in June 2021 after Landmark Theaters, which operated the space since 1978, was evicted due to unpaid back rent. But in January 2022, building owner Lagoon Partners LLC submitted a permit to add an additional 10,000 square feet of new floor to the theater and convert it into an entertainment venue that could seat 2,500.
Swervo Development, the group responsible for the redevelopment of The Armory, is behind the historic Uptown Theater's revival.
"I love this neighborhood. So the reopening of the Uptown Theater is going be a special moment for our community," said Swervo President Ned Abdul. "We're humbled and honored to restore the theater while reimagining the venue as so much more than a live music destination. We've drawn our inspiration from our neighbors and what Uptown needs is people, and we believe this unique entertainment venue will help to re-energize this business district into what it once was."
The Uptown neighborhood was hit particularly hard by closures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest and an uptick in crime.
Among the stores and businesses that closed in the neighborhood since 2020 are Juut Salon, the Apple store, Urban Outfitters, Amore, Stella's Fish Cafe and Williams Uptown Pub & Peanut Bar. However, several new businesses have opened in the area in recent months, including a temporary indoor skate park inside the Seven Points Mall, the Wilderness, a coworking and fitness space, and Arts + Rec Uptown, a restaurant, bar and indoor mini golf venue.
Here's what's coming up at the Uptown Theater this summer:
- May 5 Uptown Theater Kick-Off Party ft. Yam Haus
- June 23 Prof
- June 24 Prof
- June 25 Ruel
- Sept. 16 Parliament Funkadelic ft. George Clinton with George Porter Jr.
Tickets for all shows go on sale on Friday, March 10.
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