Sixteen teenagers were taken into custody at the Congress Theater on Friday night, nearly a week after police shut down an illegal rave at the closed Logan Square venue.
Officers responded to a trespassing call at 8:15 p.m. Friday in the 2100 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago police said. When the officers entered the theater, numerous people attempted to run.
According to authorities, the 16 teenagers, aged 13 to 19, were each charged with a misdemeanor count of unlawful trespassing. Four were charged with reckless conduct, while two were cited for possessing pellet guns.
According to Block Club Chicago, the mass arrest occurred after a local DJ hosted an unlawful rave at the theater on August 8th, which gathered several young people. Police were called to shut it down, but none of the attendees were arrested.
Plans are in the works to renovate the Congress Theater, which has been unoccupied since 2013. With a $25.2-million federal loan and city grants, the developers behind the repair intend to reopen the theater as an entertainment venue while also adding retail, office, and residential spaces.
Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) denounced the rave in his weekly bulletin, claiming that it hindered the rehabilitation process.
“Participants did significant damage to the building, substantially increasing the cost of its rehabilitation,” La Spata said. The party also “required police response that distracted from much more important matters.”
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