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JERSEYVILLE - Thursday night was an exciting time in the City of Jerseyville and Stadium Theatre owner Steve Doughtery.
The legendary 72-year marquee lights were again flashed on and a ribbon cut to celebrate the project completion.
Under the leadership of Dougherty, owner of Dougherty Theaters, The Stadium Theatre in Jerseyville used the COVID-19 Pandemic break to work on the restoration of the historic theatre.
The marquee will once again look like it did when it opened in 1949. Dougherty said he was thankful for the TIF grant to assist with the restoration.
"We worked in cooperation with the City of Jerseyville in their TIF program to restore the sign," Dougherty said. "We hope to use the program more often. We continue to upgrade the theatre all the time. We are also putting in laser projectors. It was a slow start, but films are starting to come out now and we look forward to the community coming back to us."
Michael D. Ward, administrative and marketing coordinator for Partners in Progress, was extremely excited to unveil the revitalized Stadium marquee. He had said previously: "The Stadium Theatre has been a pillar of the entertainment sector of Jerseyville since 1949. "Now owned and operated by Dougherty Theaters (also have a location in Litchfield, IL.) who has taken on the restoration of the historic 72-year-old marquee. This labor of love touched every surface of the marquee structure, also updating the electricity for years to come.
"JEDC is honored to have assisted in the facilitation of the first-ever City of Jerseyville’s Large Commercial Building Improvement Grant Program. This program uses TIF funds to assist businesses that meet the criteria of the application process. This grant is especially well deserved since the Stadium Theater was the first property to contribute to the TIF after its inception with the addition of the third theater."
The Stadium Theatre was built in 1949 by the Pirtle family as Pirtle Circuit Theaters according to deeds of that era. In fact, relatives of the original family still reside in the Jerseyville area. This establishment was and still is a hub for family entertainment in the Jerseyville Community.
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