Progress continues on our new home at 5035 N. Broadway, and we’re excited to share that construction is now more than 75% complete, with sights set on substantial completion of the building in February!
We’re in the final stages, and the excitement is growing. Every beam, every fixture, every detail of this new space has been shaped by years of deep planning and collaboration. I can’t wait for the moment we open our doors next spring and welcome our students, artists, audience, the Uptown community, and the city of Chicago into this beautiful new home that we’ve built together. — Mica Cole, Executive Director
Recent progress includes the following:
- The exterior concrete façade facing Broadway is now painted an eggplant-hued sheen, a color inspired by the brick façade of the former Reebie Bros. warehouse on the site.
- A prominent glass curtain wall completes the sheathing of the Broadway façade. The clear glass allows ample natural light inside and provides a dramatic window to activities within the building. The windows also have a special film that prevents bird collisions.
- The original front sidewalk was demolished, removed, and is being replaced with a new sidewalk that includes three cut-outs that will add three new trees to the Broadway streetscape.
- Back inside, a concrete floor was poured in the theater space itself. Then, in an engineering marvel, the entire floor was “lifted” two inches by 180 individual mini-jacks, resulting in a sprung concrete floor with a uniform pocket of air beneath to create an important sound proofing barrier.
- 5035 N. Broadway is now nearly “fully wired.” Electric, communications, and theatrical systems are being integrated into the building, ready to accept light and sound fixtures.
- Additional soundproofing materials are being installed throughout the building to minimize ambient noise from Broadway in front, and the newly opened CTA Argyle Red Line stop behind the building.
- A fire protection system has been installed. As an additional safety precaution, an electric generator has been placed outside the back of the building to bring electrical and mechanical systems back in case of an outage.
- Backstage spaces for actors, designers, and technical staff are fully framed, including a green room, costume storage, work space, dressing rooms, shower and the fourth-floor rehearsal room at the front of the building, also visible from Broadway below.
- The first of two elevators, a large freight elevator ready to transport oversized set pieces, has been installed. Coming soon is the elevator in the public area of the building for patron use. The building has been designed to be fully ADA-compliant.
- On floors four and five, individual offices, departmental “work pods,” a kitchenette, common areas, and meeting rooms are emerging in what was former Reebie Bros. storage space, giving TimeLine’s staff an urban, loft-like work environment.
- Interior framing, drywall, caulking, and priming is nearly complete and interior painting has begun.
- Everyone asks: “what about the bathrooms?” For audience members, two banks of restrooms on two floors provide a total of 20 private stalls, each with floor-to-ceiling doors and walls and its own, unique vintage light sconce.
Honestly, it’s incredibly energizing to walk through the building now and really see how far we’ve come. This is the work that brought me to TimeLine, and after living with this project for so long, watching it take shape day by day feels a little surreal—in the best possible way. It’s a privilege to help shepherd this next chapter for the organization. — Elizabeth K. Auman, Director of New Home Development
At the top of the construction priority list in the coming weeks is continuing MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) installation, installing the second elevator, grinding and polishing exposed concrete flooring, building out the bar and café, interior painting and finishes, preparation for interior design work, and more.
In addition, Chicago-based consultants on the design and construction team—including Threshold Acoustics, authorities on state-of-the-art theatrical acoustics, and Schuler Shook, experts at planning and outfitting the theater space itself with the latest systems, technology, décor, and seating configurations—will be on site more frequently, putting the finishing touches on the theater space itself. When complete, the flexible black box space will open with seven different seating configurations already approved by the city
“As the building nears completion, and the theater starts to come to life, I’m becoming more and more excited about seeing a show here. I can’t wait to share it with family and friends, and the entire city,” said Brendan Keane, division leader at general contractor Bulley & Andrews.
Looking ahead, a series of Grand Opening events are being planned for March. In April, TimeLine will begin rehearsals for the inaugural production in our new home, An Enemy of the People, a new, award-winning version by Amy Herzog of Henrik Ibsen’s historic masterwork about citizens standing up to power, scheduled to run May – June 2026.
We are very grateful to our incredible design and construction team, including HGA, Schuler Shook, Threshold Acoustics, Bulley & Andrews, and Cullen Construction Management.
We’re also immensely grateful to all the generous supporters who have made this project possible. Since launching our capital campaign, “IT’S TIME: The Campaign for TimeLine’s New Home,” TimeLine has successfully raised more than $42.6 million toward the approximately $46 million project cost, including $12.9 million in public support ($2.9 million from the State of Illinois, $10 million from the City of Chicago), and funds from more than 200 individual donors. If you’d like to learn more about how you can support TimeLine’s new home project, please reach out to Miguel Fernández, Director of Development, at miguel@timeline.gameflow.design or (773) 281-8463 x130.
Visit our It’s Time page for further details, including design renderings and more construction photos.