Northlight Theatre’s return to Evanston will take a few more years, Executive Director Tim Evans told the RoundTable, as construction on the new theatre is expected to finish in the third quarter of 2026.
The new venue at 1012-16 Church St. has been in the works since 2019, when Northlight received more than $900,000 from the state government and City Council unanimously approved the planned development.
The project was delayed in 2020 when fundraising was paused at the start of the pandemic, but after the City Council gave the project $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, Northlight purchased the project site in July 2021 and demolished the existing buildings in the summer of 2022.
The site has remained quiet since, with only a sign promoting the project marking the lot. The city’s last official action was last in November when the City Council approved revisions to the theater’s facade in light of supply-chain issues that made the original design too costly.
Evans told the RoundTable via email that Northlight has completed construction drawings and is “out for bids,” after which the company will apply for building permits from the city.
“As those bids come back, I’m sure there will be some cost analysis and further value engineering to keep costs as much in check as we can,” Evans wrote. “Those bids will start coming back in the coming weeks and when we finish that process it will determine our timeline for submitting for further building permits.”
Evans added that the overall timeline will also depend on the cost of the approved bid, as Northlight will only apply for permits once the fundraising campaign reaches 80% of the project’s estimated cost. He wrote that the campaign has raised almost $17 million to date, with a current goal of reaching $20 million by February 2024.
“Best case scenario, construction would start 12-18 months from now,” Evans wrote. “Construction is scheduled to last 14-16 months, which lands us in 3rd quarter 2026 for conclusion of construction. Of course, other factors may impact this such as supply chain, labor issues and the economy.”
This timeline puts the project’s completion a few months ahead of the federal deadline to spend all ARPA funding by Dec. 31, 2026.
As the new theater building works its way through bids, permitting and construction, Northlight remains active. Evans wrote that the company exceeded its fundraising goal last season, and that the current production, Birthday Candles, has broken some box office records.
He also wrote that Northlight’s annual gala, scheduled for this Thursday at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, has sold out.
“Lots to celebrate here at Northlight,” Evans wrote.
Those interested in donating to Northlight can visit here.