Medinah Temple

Medinah Temple
Medinah Temple Facade
Map
General information
TypeAuditorium, rebuilt as a department store in 2000, rebuilt as a casino in 2023
Location600 N. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, Illinois
United States
Coordinates41°53′34″N 87°37′38″W / 41.89278°N 87.62722°W / 41.89278; -87.62722
Completed1912
Design and construction
Architect(s)Huehl & Schmid

The Medinah Temple is a Moorish Revival building in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located on the Near North Side at 600 N. Wabash Avenue, extending from Ohio Street to Ontario Street.

The Medinah Temple was built by Shriners architects Huehl & Schmid in 1912. It is currently the temporary home of Bally's Chicago casino, while the $1.7B permanent location is being constructed nearby.[1]

History

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Auditorium

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The building originally housed an ornate auditorium, seating approximately 4,200 people, on three levels. The stage floor extended a considerable distance into the auditorium, and the seating was arranged in a U-shape around it. The auditorium contained an Austin Organ Company pipe organ (opus no. 558), installed in 1915, with 92 ranks, a 5-manual fixed console and a 4-manual movable console (added in 1931). Among the many events that took place in this venue was the annual Shrine Circus. Additionally, WGN-TV used the Medinah Temple for "The Bozo 25th Anniversary Special" (telecast live September 7, 1986).

The fine acoustics of the Medinah Temple's auditorium made it a favorite site for recording. Many of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's most famous recordings from the late 1960s (for RCA with then-music director Jean Martinon) through the 1980s (for Decca with then-music director Sir Georg Solti) were recorded there. The music to Fantasia 2000 was recorded at the Medinah Temple auditorium from 1994 to 1996.

The auditorium also contained a five-manual, 92 rank pipe organ, Austin Organs Opus 558, installed in 1915. The instrument was the first five-manual instrument built by the firm and one of the largest in the city. It was controlled by a five-manual gallery console and a movable four-manual console.[2] In March 2001 the City Council approved funding to remove the organ for eventual donation to a non-profit organization.[3] It was donated to a church in Old Mill Creek, Illinois, but was never installed due to the prohibitively high cost of re-assembly.[4] According to the Organ Historical Society database the instrument is no longer extant.[5]

Retail store

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In late 2000, the Medinah Shriners left the building. The exterior was restored, while the interior was gutted and rebuilt.[6] It was designated a Chicago Landmark on June 27, 2001.[7] as Bloomingdale's Home and Furniture Store, which opened in 2003. In June 2019, Bloomingdale's parent company, Macy's, sold the building to Chicago developer Al Friedman. The store closed in September 2020 for redevelopment.[8]

Casino

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On May 5, 2022, it was reported that the Medinah Temple would be renovated as a temporary home for Bally's Chicago casino, which had been approved by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The proposal was approved by the Chicago City Council in December 2022 and the Illinois Gaming Board in September 2023.[9][10] The temporary casino opened on September 9, 2023. It is expected to remain at Medinah Temple until the casino's permanent location in the River West neighborhood is completed in 2026.[11]

References

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  1. ^ A $1.7B Bally's Casino is Planned for Chicago. Here's Where, When it Will Open and What We Know NBC Chicago, May 6, 2022
  2. ^ "Historic Austin organ to St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church (April 25, 2015)". April 24, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  3. ^ "City Will Save Organ and Medinah Temple". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. March 23, 2001. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  4. ^ "The restoration of the St. Peter Canisius 1936 Moller Opus 5688 pipe organ to St. Raphael's". Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  5. ^ "Austin Organ Co. Opus 558, 1915". Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  6. ^ "Where the Auction is: The Shriners empty out the temple". November 30, 2000.
  7. ^ Ryan Ori. "Medinah Temple". City of Chicago. Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
  8. ^ "Landmark Medinah Temple to be redeveloped". Chicago Tribune. June 14, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  9. ^ "Medinah Temple slated to house temporary Chicago casino". Crain's Chicago Business. May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  10. ^ "Chicago City Council Gives Final Approval to $1.7 Billion Bally's Casino Project". NBC Chicago. December 14, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  11. ^ "Bally's gets Gaming Board approval to open temporary casino". Chicago Tribune. September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
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