CHICAGO, April 6 (UPI) -- Chicago's Uptown Theatre is mired in a bitter property dispute despite being in such disrepair it would cost millions to renovate.
While recent estimates say it would cost $45 million to renovate the historical entertainment venue, a legal battle is being waged over its ownership, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Sunday.
The city has laid partial claim to the property because city money was used for emergency repairs. The group Broadway for Uptown has laid its own claim since it held the first mortgage on the property.
Meanwhile, a defaulted second mortgage on the theater was purchased by the corporation, UTA, which has repeatedly attempted to purchase the first mortgage.
Yet Broadway has either canceled or postponed such mortgage sales, leaving the Uptown to continue to fall into disrepair.
Sources told the Sun-Times Broadway has paired with concert promoter Live Nation to restore the theater at some point in the future.
