Country Club Hills Amphitheater Could Open Next Summer
Country Club Hills outdoor amphitheater, closed for nearly two years, could be back in business next summer with more seats, city officials said.
The Country Club Hills Council agreed Monday night to use about $1.7 million in tax increment financing (TIF) money to more than triple fixed seating at the amphitheater to about 2,100. The south suburban, Ill. venue currently has about 640 such seats.
Work could start by September, city officials said. Officials also believe the increased seating could increase the amphitheater’s appeal.
Located at 4200 W. 183rd St. in Country Club Hills, the venue is on the road to open by next June.
“Additional seating will improve the amount of tickets we can sale,” said Mayor James Ford. “We will be able to bring in bigger acts as well.”
Overall, the music venue will have more than 4,000 seats, Country Club Hills officials said.
The project will be funded from a tax increment financing district fund, which has $3.3 million in reserves.
The district includes the theater, the Heritage Plaza shopping center and Shops at Cooper’s retail center.
The amphitheater, which opened in 2007, cost the village about $7 million.
It closed in 2013 after big loses.
During its final year, the theater had budgeted expenses of $1.3 million. But revenue was just $910,000.
When the theater reopens, corporate sponsorships and naming rights are options that could bring in much needed revenue that would allow for self-sufficient operations of the theater, city officials said.
The amphitheater, known for its old school-style entertainment, also might include other types of acts to help pack seats, adding more money to its coffers.
“We are looking to diversify,” Ford said. “We haven’t decided whether we have new hip-hop acts or not.”
Past acts like Toni Braxton, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Tyrese, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Boney James and George Benson, appealed to an over-age-30 crowd.
Laith Ahmad, manager of Sharks Fish & Chicken at 4031 W. 183rd St, said he definitely knows popular acts can draw a big crowd to not only the amphitheater but also to surrounding businesses, like his.
A packed theater sometimes resulted in 50 to 60 percent more customers at the eatery, Ahmad said.
“They just have to bring in the right acts and groups that people are interested in,” Ahmad said. “The theater is really a good way to connect people together and for people to enjoy themselves.”
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