Momentum grows as Jacksonville Center for the Arts pursues theater
By Ben Cox
A new wave of support, both financial and organizational, is building behind the effort to convert the historic Illinois Theater in Jacksonville into a downtown civic center and performing arts venue.
With a $1 million pledge from Catherine Horn Randall and formal backing from Jacksonville Main Street, the Jacksonville Center for the Arts (JCA) says its vision for the long-discussed project is gaining traction as it works toward an $8.8 million fundraising goal.
Even as momentum builds, leaders involved with the project stress that Jacksonville Main Street has not pledged or committed any money toward the redevelopment. Instead, the organization has offered support, guidance and access to resources, saying the project aligns closely with its mission but does not involve any financial commitment from the group.
“The historic central business district provides an atmosphere that is ripe for arts and entertainment,” said Jacksonville Main Street President John Rohn in a recent statement.
“Rehabilitating an older building for new uses and creating an attraction with multiple uses are both things that Jacksonville Main Street wholeheartedly endorses.” The Jacksonville Main Street board’s vote reflects approval of the concept and encouragement of the effort, but not funding.
A major gift anchors fundraising
JCA’s largest public milestone to date came with a $1 million pledge from Catherine Horn Randall, announced on December 1. Randall said her gift honors her late husband, Bob Randall, who believed a civic center at the Illinois Theater site could reshape the downtown square into a cultural and economic anchor.
“I look at my pledge as an investment in the future growth and prosperity of Jacksonville,” Randall said. She also framed the gift as a challenge to others to join the effort, saying the city has a “unique opportunity” to expand its amenities and strengthen the appeal of the downtown district.
Randall, an advising member of JCA’s board, said she is confident that a restored Illinois Theater can fill a long-identified need for flexible performance and event space, capable of hosting everything from concerts and theatrical productions to conferences, lectures, training programs and community events.
JCA currently holds an exclusive option to purchase the building, which has been extended through Feb. 16, 2026, giving the organization additional time to collect pledges. The effort is seeking to raise $8.8 million.
Current theater tenant voices support, stresses neutrality
While JCA builds its case for a civic center, the Illinois Theater continues operating as a first-run movie house under Eisentraut Theatres. Company owner Jeff Eisentraut said the prospective buyers first approached the theater well over a year ago and have been “good to work with” throughout their due diligence process.
Eisentraut has owned and operated out of the facility since 2018. “Their desire to create a facility Jacksonville would be proud of, and more importantly, would be an asset to the community, is sincere,” Eisentraut said.
He emphasized that the cited $8.8 million figure is an “all-inclusive, wish list number,” and that the actual purchase price is only a fraction of that.
Eisentraut said his company is remaining neutral regarding a potential sale. Despite his long personal affection for the building, he noted that Hollywood’s uneven post-pandemic release schedule has made long-term leases more difficult to justify.
With that in mind, he said the company is “full steam ahead” in showing movies while the future of the building is determined. A top manager has been appointed to enhance the classic theater environment, and the Illinois Theater is currently promoting $5 admission for all shows, no commercials before films, new concessions options, a slate of holiday programming and free Christmas movies every Saturday in December at 1 p.m.
The lobby is also home to a “Christmas forest” created by local volunteers and community members who have donated decorations. “I remain committed to this theater and its longevity, no matter how it is preserved,” Eisentraut said.
A theater with a storied past
The Illinois Theater has long held a prominent place in Jacksonville’s cultural history. The site first hosted the Grand Opera House in 1892 before being renovated into the Illinois Theater in 1927 as part of the Fox Theater Corporation chain.
After a devastating fire in 1938, a new Art Deco structure, designed by the Boller Brothers, opened in 1939 with the film “Wife, Husband and Friend,” starring Loretta Young.
In the decades that followed, the theater became a flashpoint in local civil rights demonstrations in the 1950s, changed ownership several times and transitioned through the widescreen era, multiplex expansion and digital projection upgrades. It was also the first broadcast home of AM 1180 WLDS on December 9, 1941, just two days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Looking ahead
With growing public interest, project leaders say the coming year will be pivotal. JCA board members continue to solicit pledges and meet with stakeholders while pointing to the theater’s potential as a cultural catalyst for the region.
“This project is more than bricks and mortar, it’s about building a future,” said JCA board treasurer Mary Fergurson.
The JCA has announced that they still intend to show films in the space if they were to acquire it. “Imagine a place where live theater, concerts, conferences, community meetings, social events, lectures, seminars, business workshops, and training sessions all come to life under one roof,” an announcement on the group’s Facebook page reads. They list family film nights, film festivals, locally-made film premiers, gaming tournaments and e-sports events as well as live-streamed cultural events among some of the possibilities with the space.
More information about the project or how to make a pledge is available atjacksonvilleartscenter.com or by contacting JCA board members.
