Uptown theater just turned 100.

>> And like a lot of 100 year old, the old girls got some aches and pains.

But it's also got a dedicated community hoping to see the long vacant movie palace restored and brought back to life.

The theater's also being celebrated in a just released book as our Nic Bloomberg reports, the building's owner and its many supporters are hopeful the momentum around the uptown Centennial will finally get the massive project off the ground.

>> The 46,000 Square-foot Uptown Theater opened its doors in August 1925.

With much fanfare.

Dave Siff checks been coming to the theater since he was a kid.

Now he's the building's caretaker.

>> The idea the theater was to make the common man feel like a king or a queen like he was visiting Europe World, Spain as the design of the building in the case.

>> The uptown boasts more than 4300 seats.

Gorgeous.

Architectural details everywhere you turn.

And not one but 3 lobbies, including a cavernous showstopper of the main entrance.

>> And this staircase has been described as one of the grandest staircases ever in a movie palace.

>> It also had state-of-the-art heating and cooling a nursery for mothers, a rotating selection of fine art and beautiful mood lighting.

>> If you read about the theater or seen photos of it of its interior, none of that can quite prepare you for what you see when you step inside.

>> Robert lowers Allen Andy Pierce's new book.

The Uptown is a treasure trove tracing the theater's many lives.

The history of the neighborhood and the ongoing preservation and restoration efforts.

>> These immense spaces have just so many details of architecture and art.

Little faces on the columns sculptures, little flares of architecture.

Pretty much every corner of the building has something like that grab your attention.

This is the moment.

>> Where we can bridge the generations.

We've got people who remember going there and can share their experience and why it's important to them.

The rest of us see the opportunity and the potential.

>> Over the years the uptown went from a grand movie palace to a concert venue.

Longtime concert promoter Jerry Michelson started booking shows there in 1975.

>> This was the place that everybody wanted to play and will be again, the place that everybody wants perform at and bags.

And it was, you know, grateful Dead.

Prince Springsteen, number of just loved it.

>> But Michael, since as he watched as the building's owner at the time, let it fall into disrepair.

It closed in 1981.

Michelson bought it in a foreclosure auction in 2008 and says he's determined to see it reopen as I like to you know, we're not chasing of a dream.

We're building a plan for years.

Chicagoans have been working to preserve and restore the city's historic theaters last year.

The rim over and Bridgeport reopened its doors after a 30 million dollar overhaul.

But the massive scope of the uptown not to mention decades-old water damage means a much bigger price tag.

About 190 million dollars.

According to Michael since teen.

>> This has to be a public private partnership.

This theater.

It is an asset to the city of Chicago.

And most importantly, Uptown COVID scuttled an earlier renovation effort backed by public funding.

Michelson is confident he can pull together a mix of public and private support to bring the uptown back to life.

>> In the meantime, Pearson lower xl's new book cannot only give you a look inside.

But take you on a trip back in time.

And so can a pop-up exhibit at the Chicago History Museum where the authors did extensive research.

>> I can't stress enough the importance of those archives to understand the building and see it knew we could confirm different entertainers appeared there such as the Marx Brothers, Duke Ellington and others.

We had this world history and we were able to verify that to records and then share.

>> By the way, if you notice the frame behind me looks a little.

That's because it is.

But it's on purpose pretty soon.

The newest uptown community portrait celebrating the theater.

Centennial will take its place right here on the Wall.

>> It's just heartwarming and it's reassuring to see that support.

We just have to figure out how to do it.

>> For Chicago tonight, I'm Nick Blumberg.

>> The new book, the Uptown is available now.

The pop-up exhibit at the Chicago History Museum runs through January 4th and they hope to have the new community portrait up sometime this month for her part.

46th Ward Alderwoman Angela Clay tells us she's open to city support potentially in the form of revenue from an existing TIFF district.

That includes the theater as long as there's private funding involved too.

She wants to see the theater