McHugh Construction, a leading commercial contractor in the Midwest, has successfully completed the $30 million renovation of Chicago’s iconic Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport. The historic single-screen cinema has been transformed into a state-of-the-art concert hall with a capacity of 1,800 people.
In addition to restoring the theater, McHugh also built out space for Other Half Brewing and Ramova Grill on the ground floor and created an event venue called Ramova Loft on the second floor. This 36,000-square-foot project at 3510-3520 S. Halsted Street was carried out with careful consideration for preserving its historical significance.
After being closed for nearly four decades, Ramova Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021 – coinciding with McHugh’s restoration efforts. Working closely with O’Riley Office (the project architect), Baum Revision (property developer), and historic preservation experts; McHugh utilized their expertise to update and modify structural elements through their own engineering division – McHugh Engineering Group.
The adaptive reuse initiative received funding from various sources including local investments from community members as well as tax-increment financing subsidies provided by Chicago city officials along with grants from both state government agencies and Historic Places loans.
