Little Village venue Apollo's 2000 inks landmark status

After owning and operating Apollo’s 2000 for more than 35 years, owners Javier and Lidia Galindo can officially celebrate the venue’s landmark status. That’s because City Council voted Wednesday to approve landmark designation for the Little Village venue.

The Galindo family — which includes daughters Isis, Naomi and Evelyn Stell — didn’t seriously consider pursuing landmark designation until a few years ago.

When the family started conversations with the city about the landmark process, they found their mission for Apollo’s 2000 aligned with the city.

La Voz Sidebar

Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago, la sección bilingüe del Sun-Times.

“The goal — and my parents have done this from the beginning of their ownership of the building — [is] to really care for the building and its integrity,” Stell said. “And that’s exactly what landmark designation does, right? It helps ensure the preservation of historical buildings like the Apollo’s 2000.”

Formerly known as the Marshall Square Theatre, the site at 2875 W. Cermak Rd. was built in 1917.

It was designed by architect Alexander L. Levy, who studied architecture at the University of Illinois and was “a master of movie theater design,” according to a report submitted to the city’s Commission on Chicago Landmarks.

Levy also designed a handful of buildings throughout Chicago, including the Marks Nathan Jewish Orphan Home in North Lawndale and at least two synagogues that remain standing today.

The building was majorly influenced by the Beaux-Arts architecture style, seen frequently in buildings like train stations, clubs and hotels. Beaux-Arts details can be found on Apollo’s interior and exterior, including the sculptural eagles above the marquee sign and its ornamented ceilings inside.

“I’m in love with inside and outside,” Lidia Galindo said.

Paul Beaty/For the Sun-Times

Taking over Marshall Square

When Javier Galindo was approached by the then-owner of the Marshall Square Theatre to manage the venue, Galindo had no reason to believe it was serious.

“I went home, and I said to my wife, ‘Today, I saw a place that I would really love to manage,’” he said. “I was just dumbfounded by it … it sounded way too good to be true.”

But in 1987, the couple, who were managing a dance hall, saw their luck turn for the worse.

Not even two years into their marriage, the dance hall they operated had its ceiling collapse after an intense storm. There were no injuries, but the hall — which the couple rented out for events and performances — was unusable.

“Our world shattered,” Javier Galindo said. “We were doing very well over there.”

After that, Javier Galindo found himself in a haze. Then he remembered Frank De la Torre, owner of the Marshall Square Theatre, and his offer. Javier Galindo reached out to De la Torre and the two entered discussions that ultimately led to the Galindos purchasing the theater.

The Galindos then reintroduced the theater in 1989 as a performance and event venue under a new name: Apollo’s 2000. Inspiration for the name comes from a few places, the couple said, with Javier Galindo’s grandfather chief among them.

Javier Galindo calls his grandfather, Apolinar Esparza, his role model and hero, supporting him through moments of need.

“This was just a way to honor him because he had been with me in so many ways,” Javier Galindo said.

From Spanish rock to election parties

Apollo’s 2000 has played host to a variety of events, including Spanish rock and pop shows; a Latin jazz series; children’s theater; political fundraisers and election watch parties. Former Vice President Al Gore, former Gov. Pat Quinn, U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders have all stepped inside Apollo’s 2000.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file

Apollo’s 2000 is the second landmark in Little Village, but the first building to get landmark status. The Galindos hope it spurs cultural pride and draws more investment to Little Village’s commercial corridor.

“Through landmark, it would be definitely awesome to have a bit of recognition for different cultures,” Naomi Galindo said. “For those small businesses there, that would also be very beneficial because after COVID, everyone’s struggling. Hopefully, it will be a way to target people to come and see Little Village.”

The family views the venue as a creative and collaborative hub, Stell said. They’ve worked closely with other local nonprofits to mutually support each other, establishing Apollo’s as an “anchor in the community for events.”

Javier Galindo also hopes the venue can bring back some of its historic, signature events — like a series of Latin Jazz concerts that drew notable crowds in the late to mid-90s, a time when Latin music in Chicago was being overlooked by promoters.

Javier Galindo said he still remembers one of his first days in Chicago as a young kid. His parents took him and his siblings to see “El Gato,” a black-and-white Mexican western movie, at the venue he now owns.

“Who would have thought just having arrived from Mexico, that over the years … we would own the place?” he said. “It’s a wild story.”

Paul Beaty/For the Sun-Times