Once a mainstay of Americana, the drive-in movie theater is nearly extinct, done in by new technology, changing consumer tastes and, in many cases, redevelopment.
There were almost 5,000 drive-ins in the United States in their heyday in the 1950s, but there are only a few hundred left now. Only two remain in Chicago’s suburbs, but one might not survive to show movies this summer.
Cascade Drive-In owner Jeff Kohlberg said the theater’s lease in West Chicago has expired and the family who own the land is looking to sell, according to the Daily Herald.
Stephen Kuhn said his family hired commercial brokerage NAI Hiffman to sell 53 acres that include the 28-acre drive-in, and is “exploring all possibilities” for the site.
The land has been on the market for at least nine years, making each summer of drive-in movies another reprieve for loyal fans of the 58-year-old Cascade theater.
NAI Hiffman’s David Haigh told the Daily Herald his firm is marketing the land to office, retail and industrial developers, though the site could require costly infrastructure work. In the meantime, Kohlberg and Cascade fans are hoping for at least one more summer.
“I’m still holding out hope,” Kohlberg said. “If we don’t open in April, it looks like it’ll never open up at all.” [Daily Herald] — John O’Brien