EDWARDSVILLE – The City’s Wildey Theatre is about to regain some of its former glory and neonfueled glow, courtesy of a renovation underway on the historic downtown venue’s picturesque marquee. Over the next six weeks, workers will painstakingly replace the non-functioning neon-filled tubes that frame the marquee, apply a fresh coat of paint and update some of the other lighting components.
Access to the sidewalk underneath the marquee may be limited at times while the project progresses.
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“These enhancements are going to be a bright and wonderful addition to the Wildey and make this incredible Edwardsville destination stand out even more on Main Street,” Mayor Art Risavy said. When the project is finished, likely by the end of November, it’ll turn back the clock on the marquee by at least 40 years. “I think it’ll look so fresh that people are going to notice. It’s just going to be fabulous,” said Rich Walker, a former City alderman who advocated for the City to save and restore the shuttered venue after it ceased full-time operations in 1984.
Walker is now a member of the Friends of the Wildey, which raises funds for improvements to the 115- year-old theater, concert hall and event center. The Friends are providing just over $67,000 to pay for the bulk of the marquee repairs and updates.
“The marquee is such a visual piece and downtown icon,” Walker said. “This is one of those leftover projects from the 2011 renovation that we weren’t able to do at the time.” The Friends of the Wildey led a fundraising drive last year to support the restoration.
The Alumni Players, a community organization that combines the talents of Edwardsville High School theater students spanning decades, also contributed proceeds from its June concert highlighting the Mississippi River Festival performers. Joe Hutton of Miller & Maack General Contractors is donating project design and coordination services. “We are so grateful for the support the Wildey receives from the Friends group and community organizations,” Mayor Risavy said. “The Wildey is a true gem on Main Street.” The Wildey Theater, 252 N. Main Street, is a 326-seat City-owned venue that hosts concerts, movies, other public events and private gatherings throughout the year. It was originally built as an opera house, opening in 1909. The existing marquee was added as part of a renovation in the 1930s that introduced the venue’s current art deco-inspired style.
It operated continuously until 1984, when it wrapped up its run with one final movie: “The Big Chill.” Other than occasional events, it remained unused and in deteriorating condition until 1999, when the City and supporters launched a bid to save and restore the venue. Under the City’s ownership and financial backing, a grand reopening was held in April 2011. The Wildey has continued to operate ever since, drawing audiences from near and far to a multitude of events. The Wildey Theatre operates as part of Edwardsville’s Parks & Recreation Department. Lea
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