Westgate Outdoor Theatre (Racine, Wisconsin): Difference between revisions
Westgate Outdoor Theatre (Racine, Wisconsin) (edit)
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| location = 4801 [[Washington Avenue (Racine, Wisconsin)|Washington Avenue]]<br/>[[Racine, Wisconsin|Racine]], [[Wisconsin]]
| start_date = 1948
|
| closing_date = September 18, 1978
| demolition_date = 1979
| owner = [[Papas-Spheeris Company]]
| developer = [[J. & M. Enterprises (Minneapolis, Minnesota)]]
}}
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On the night of May 23, 1958, four children of the same Racine family suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning when their father ran their car's motor too long during a show at the theater. The children were administered oxygen at [[St. Mary's Hospital (Racine, Wisconsin)|St. Mary's Hospital]] and were released in the morning.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45507119/the_journal_times/ "4 Racine Children Are Overcome by Monoxide at Outdoor Theater"], [[Racine Journal Times]], May 24, 1958, front page.</ref>
[[File:Turn Style and Westgate, 1966.png|thumb|Westgate Outdoor Theater, located behind the [[Turn Style Family Center (Racine, Wisconsin)|Turn Style Family Center]], as seen in 1966.]]
In 1959, the theater added a go-cart attraction, the Mighty Midget Race Track, to its property.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45508806/the_racine_journaltimes_sunday_bulletin/ "A Go-Cart Race Track Starts to Click in Racine"], [[Racine Journal Times]], September 13, 1959, page 18.</ref> In March 1961, Papas announced plans to build Westgate Family Center, a {{convert|100000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} [[discount department store]] immediately north of the theater, at a time when such stores were a new concept in retailing. Although Papas owned the land extending north to Washington Avenue from the theater, his plan required purchasing land west of Perry Avenue from the Racine Water Department for part of the store's parking lot.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45509006/the_journal_times/ "Westgate to Build Store Containing 50 Departments"], [[Racine Journal Times]], April 6, 1961, page six.</ref> The Water Department agreed to sell the land for $27,750. By July 1961, Papas had come to an agreement with the Chicago-based [[Jewel Tea Company]] grocery store chain, which would open its first department store in the new building. The planned store was downsized to {{convert|90000|sqft|m2}}, allowing a larger parking lot in front of the store and making the land purchased from the Water Department unnecessary for parking. Instead, Papas announced that the land would be used for [[Holleb House (Racine, Wisconsin)|a motel]] with 65 to 70 units, with the possibility of an attached restaurant.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45509708/the_journal_times/ "Plan New Motel of 65-70 Units"], [[Racine Journal Times]], July 28, 1961, page 4.</ref>
Construction on the Jewel store began in September 1961, requiring the Mighty Midget go-cart track, playground trampolines, and some of the theater's parking area to be removed.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45511052/the_journal_times/ "Jewel Tea Expects to Break Ground for Family Center About Sept. 1"], [[Racine Journal Times]], August 20, 1961, page 32.</ref> During construction, Jewel acquired the [[Turn Style]] chain of four discount department stores in Massachusetts, and applied the Turn Style branding to the new Racine store. The new [[Turn Style Family Center (Racine, Wisconsin)|Turn Style Family Center]] opened on March 28, 1962.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45542382/the_journal_times/ Advertisement], [[Racine Journal Times]], March 27, 1962, page 3B and [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45542337/the_journal_times/ page 4B].</ref> On August 30, 1962, the Racine City Plan Commission agreed to annex the theater into the city of Racine.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45542650/the_journal_times/ "OK Annexation of 55 Acres"], [[Racine Journal Times]], August 31, 1962, page 4A.</ref>
With the opening of the [[Westgate Cinema (Racine, Wisconsin)|Westgate Cinema]] indoor theater across the street in 1968, the outdoor theater declined in popularity. In the mid-1970s, the nearby [[Christ Church United Methodist (Racine, Wisconsin)|Christ Church United Methodist]] offered Sunday morning outdoor worship services at the theater.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45547719/the_journal_times/ "News of the Churches"], [[Racine Journal Times]], June 22, 1974, page 4A.</ref> These events sometimes included pastors from other churches as part of the "Community-All Faiths Worship series".<ref>Dose, Emmert H. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45547898/the_journal_times/ "Outdoor theater is place of worship"], [[Racine Journal Times]], July 16, 1977, page 4.</ref>
Westgate Outdoor Theater ended the 1978 season without fanfare on September 18, showing a double feature of ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_(1978_film) The End]'' (1978) and ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gator_(film) Gator]'' (1976), both directed by Burt Reynolds.<ref name=cinematreasures/> After Jewel shut down all Turn Style stores that year, the Racine store was one of three that was not subleased to [[The May Department Stores Company]] to become a [[Venture Stores|Venture]] store. Instead, [[ShopKo]] became interested in the location. Originally planning to renovate and expand the Turn Style building,<ref>Pfankuchen, David. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45557907/the-journal-times/ "ShopKo may buy ex-Turn Style store"], [[Racine Journal Times]], November 28, 1978, page 1D.</ref> ShopKo later proposed tearing down both the store and the theater to build a new shopping center.<ref>Pfankuchen, David. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45558718/the-journal-times/ "ShopKo key to development"], [[Racine Journal Times]], February 4, 1979, page 1C.</ref> The theater was demolished in May 1979, shortly after the thirtieth anniversary of its opening.<ref>Conrad, Fred W. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45559379/the-journal-times/ "Goodbye to Westgate" (editorial)], [[Racine Journal Times]], May 8, 1979, page 6A.</ref> It was replaced by the [[Westgate Mall Shopping Center]], which opened in November 1979.
==References==
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