The Tower Theater, once host to world-famous performers, has been closed since 2022.
Now Upper Darby is contemplating what should come next for the historic theater, writes Pete Bannan for the Daily Times.
The Tower opened as a movie house and vaudeville theater in the 1920s.
A fire closed it in the early 1970s, but rock promoter Rick Green refurbished it in 1972 as a 3,300-seat concert hall.
The theater thrived on its famous talent, from David Bowie to The Rolling Stones, Prince, and Bruce Springsteen. In 2018, Rolling Stone magazine declared it one of the 10 best music venues in America.
Now owned by Live Nation, the theater has been closed “for a while” so the owner can ascertain the status of other properties in the area, said Rita LaRue, Upper Darby’s director of Community & Economic Development.
Upper Darby has frequently approached Live Nation about a partnership or an acquisition of the theater.
A panel discussion in April by the Urban Land Institute will devote part of the talk to the theater, looking at ways to capitalize on the Tower and bring in more restaurants, entertainment and public spaces to the 69th Street area, LaRue said.
Find out more about the Tower in the Daily Times.
