From Pews to Projector: A Humboldt Park Church Is Being Reborn as 'La Reina,' the Neighborhood's First Movie Theater in Decades
By Socialhood News · Humboldt Park ·
A shuttered church at 3679 W. Grand Ave. is about to write a new chapter — one with a projection screen, 55 to 60 seats, and a deep bow to the neighborhood it calls home. Ken Gaebler, the building's new owner, is in the middle of restoring the former house of worship into a community-first cinema he has named La Reina — Spanish for "the queen" — a nod to Humboldt Park's identity as home to the oldest Puerto Rican community in Chicago.
Gaebler officially acquired the building in February 2026 and has been in active renovation mode ever since. The project reaches back even further than the church's history: decades ago, the Rex Theatre operated on the same property, meaning the return of a movie screen here isn't just a new idea — it's a restoration of something the neighborhood once had and lost. "It's kind of a rarity to find a building that had a theater in it before," Gaebler told Block Club Chicago in a story published September 28. "I've always been a huge cinema [and] movie fan, and so I started to think that it would be interesting to restore the building, but also to restore the theater."
The vision for La Reina goes well beyond standard multiplex fare. Gaebler plans to screen independent films, art-house titles, projects by local producers, and Spanish-language movies — a programming mix that speaks directly to who lives in this neighborhood and what they rarely see reflected on a screen nearby. As the Block Club report notes, Humboldt Park currently has no movie theater, meaning residents who want to catch a film have to leave the neighborhood entirely. "In addition to restoring the building itself," Gaebler said, "I think the goal is to restore it as a valued community space and make it a community-first theater."
The project got a significant financial boost in September, when Gaebler received a $250,000 grant from the Chicago Department of Planning and Development. The funding came through the city's Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, which channels bonus payments from downtown developers — those seeking additional floor area in high-density Loop and Near North construction — directly into commercial corridor investments on the South, West, and Southwest sides. It is a mechanism designed precisely for moments like this: when a West Side neighborhood has a compelling, community-rooted project ready to go but needs a capital push to get there. Gaebler applied for the grant in May and later presented the project to Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th Ward), who affirmed his support before the funding came through.
The timing could hardly be better for a neighborhood that has been gaining cultural momentum. This Sunday, October 4, Humboldt Park itself — the 219-acre park at 1440 N. Sacramento Ave. — hosts the World Music Festival Chicago, a free, all-ages event beginning at noon. And looking one week ahead, on Sunday, October 11, the park becomes the closing venue for the Chicago Latino Dance Festival, now in its fourth year as the only Pan-Latino dance festival in the city. That event, produced by the International Latino Cultural Center and free to all ages, runs from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and will feature eight performing groups spanning Afro-Latin, indigenous, folkloric, and contemporary dance traditions. The festival as a whole runs mid-September through mid-October and includes 20 performing groups across multiple Chicago venues.
For longtime residents, La Reina carries weight that goes beyond the novelty of a new entertainment option. Humboldt Park has watched institutions come and go — schools close, storefronts sit empty, community anchors disappear. A neighborhood cinema, named in the language of the community it serves, programmed with films that reflect its culture, and funded in part by downtown development dollars redirected westward, is a different kind of story. It is a story about a neighborhood investing in its own cultural life on its own terms.
Renovations at 3679 W. Grand Ave. are ongoing. Residents who want to follow La Reina's progress — or eventually reserve a seat for opening night — can watch for updates through the 36th Ward aldermanic office and through Block Club Chicago's Humboldt Park coverage. For this weekend's World Music Festival, head to Humboldt Park at 1440 N. Sacramento Ave. starting at noon Sunday — no ticket required. For the Latino Dance Festival on October 11, arrive at the same address by 3:00 p.m. and bring the whole family.
Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/09/28/this-humboldt-park-church-is-returning-to-its-roots-as-a-movie-theater-and-community-hub/
2. https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/events/chicago-latino-dance-festival-humboldt-0
3. https://do312.com/venues/humboldt-park