By Linda Cain, CBG Editor
Artist's rendering of the future Preston Bradley Center, with modern wing addition to the left.
Dr. Daniel Ivankovich just celebrated the first anniversary of his purchase of the historic Preston Bradley Center, 941 W. Lawrence, in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.
The six-story structure is a National Historic Register building, a former church and community center. Dr. Ivankovich bought the building for $2 million in October 2022 and has big plans for the space to serve the community and beyond. The plans include a health clinic, social services, arts and music education and live concerts and shows.
Dr. Daniel Ivankovich, Dr. Karla Ivankovich and their supporters will host a Town Hall Community Meeting and Entertainment celebration on:
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
5-7:30 p.m. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
RSVP: divankovich@gmail.com
Admission is free with an advance reservation.
Watch the trailer HERE
The goal of the Town Hall, says Dr. Dan, is “to present our vision on the relaunching of this historic structure. We’ve already met and spoken to many people in Uptown and they are 100 percent in favor of what we want to do.”
The Town Hall event will give community members the opportunity to offer feedback, ideas, and opinions and to see the progress that has been made on cleaning and repairing the interior of the spectacular building. The public will get a sneak preview of the services and amenities the Preston Bradley Center will offer as well.
Speakers will include: Jerry Bryant (JBTV), Ron Ehemann, Jacinda Hall-Bullie and Jaquanda Saulter (both from Kuumba Lynx), Marc Maddox (Buddy Guy’s Legends), Lowell Thompson, Grace Itter, Micah Williams (Urban Table).
Chicago Slim
Lynne Jordan
There will be musical performances by: Chicago Slim (a.ka. Dr. Dan) and the Chicago Blues All-Stars w/ Anji Brooks, Lynne Jordan, Kuumba Lynx (a youth arts and dance troupe), and Dr. Walt Whitman’s Soul Children of Chicago choir.
Urban Table Catering will provide a buffet meal.
It will cost much more money and time to rehab the Bradley Center and bring it up to code; Ivankovich plans to do it in stages so that the church and social service providers can move back in as soon as possible.
The building will also be home to Dr. Dan and wife Dr. Karla Ivankovich’s nonprofit OnePatient Global Health Initiative, which offers medical services to Chicago’s poor communities. The couple’s musical nonprofit, Chicago Blues Society, will also be housed there to provide music lessons for underserved kids, along with free medical services, health clinics and more services to low-income musicians. They have already reached out to blues educator Fernando Jones to teach children’s workshops and they hope to host blues in the schools programs during the day for public school students. Other nonprofits will be welcomed there as well.
And when the spacious theater isn’t being used for church services, it will rock with the sounds of secular music, especially blues. “The Uptown Square Historic District project has revitalized its historic entertainment district, that runs along Lawrence Avenue. There’s the Green Mill, The Riviera Theatre, The Aragon Ballroom. So we can host a variety of shows once we figure out the market. Maybe world music and jazz would go over well, too. But blues for sure. Blues is historic and legendary and so is the Preston Bradley Center,” Ivankovich declared.
To read more about the Preston Bradley Center’s history and Dr. Ivankovich:
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