Group spruces up Madison Theater

Group spruces up Madison Theater Saturday 

by: Austin Schick 

Posted: Mar 26, 2022 / 05:11 PM CDT 

Updated: Mar 26, 2022 / 10:51 PM CDT

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A group of volunteers aimed at restoring one of Peoria’s oldest theaters spruced up the place Saturday morning. 

The Madison Theater Preservation Association held a spring workday on the historic building Saturday. Volunteers grabbed paintbrushes and gave the restaurant part of the building a fresh coat of paint, while others swept and tidied up the theater area. 

Madison Theater donated to preservation association by owner 

Cody Giebelhausen, the secretary of the Madison Theater Preservation Association, said the goal is to reopen the theater for tours this summer. 

He said there’s still a lot of work to be done before it fully reopens and welcomes acts through its doors once again. 

“The theater will look and feel much like it does right now with the beautiful plaster, but it will have all new mechanicals, all new electric,”Giebelhausen said. “Some of the plaster will be restored, the paint will be refinished. 18 months of work and $35 million worth of stuff need to be done.” 

He said the roof has been patched and, for the first time in 10 years, there’s no longer water leaking inside the building. 

Right now, the complete renovation is on time and expected to be completed by the summer of 2024. 

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