Historic theater in downtown Berkley to evolve into concert venue
Posted By: Detroit News on March 5, 2026. For more information, please click here to read the source article.
For decades, the Berkley Theater building on 12 Mile in downtown Berkley has been a movie hall and a drug store.
By the end of this spring, the facility will add “concert venue” to that short list.
Glenn Wilhelm, owner of The Roxy in Rochester, another live entertainment venue, has acquired the theater building for $4 million in an effort to bring live entertainment to downtown Berkley. He plans to open the new BERKLEY Entertainment Complex — which will pay homage to the building’s history and provide modern amenities — by the end of May.
Wilhelm said he believes the human connection that comes with live entertainment is more important than ever.
“The more we get disconnected as a society and as a people — we’re on our phones, we’ve got AI, and all these things — we really crave these things that we can do together, these gathering places,” Wilhelm said.
For most of the 20th century, the Berkley Theater, which opened in 1941, operated as a movie hall, where patrons watched everything from blockbuster hits to World War II news reels. Its final movie, “Jurassic Park,” was shown in 1993 before Perry Drugs took over the building.
The building kept the marquee on its exterior but functioned for three decades as a Rite Aide. It sat unused when the drug store went out of business in 2024.
“(It) didn’t really fit the building or really what the community would want as far as entertainment,” said designer Mark Dunneback, who is in charge of executing Wilhelm’s vision.
With the renovation, Wilhelm is intent on preserving the theater’s legacy. He’s preserving the design and lettering on the marquis, and there will be a display on the inside dedicated to the theater’s history, he said.
The venue can hold a crowd of 880 people and will also have a lounge area.
“I remember coming in here, getting candy at the candy counter, and coming here many many Saturdays. As a kid, this is what we did,” said Berkley Chamber of Commerce Director Darlene Rothman.
“The team here — Glenn Wilhelm and his crew — are paying attention to the historic details while bringing it into present day,” said Berkley Mayor Bridget Dean.
In addition to concerts, the theater will hold events like dueling pianos and comedy shows, Wilhelm said.
As far as what acts have already been booked, Wilhelm didn’t disclose any names, but said they will be announced in the future. At the smaller Roxy, he’s booked Flock of Seagulls, Billy Bob Thornton and Sponge.
“We’ve dabbled a little bit with (national acts) in Rochester, but that’s a 500-seater. When it goes to 880, almost 900, it opens it up to a lot bigger acts,” Wilhelm said.
Beyond the building itself, Rothman believes the new BERKLEY will have a ripple effect for the downtown area. Rothman noted that the area has free parking, which she believes will help draw people to other businesses while they’re in the area for a show.
“All of the other businesses are going to flourish because of this,” Rothman said.
Once it opens, Dean hopes people will both enjoy the nostalgia of the venue and the entertainment it will offer in present day.
“People in this community have fond memories of when it was the Berkley Theater, and that’s just going to build, and a new generation of people will also have those memories,” said Dean.
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