Lyric to Add Dining at Civic Opera Building

By John Von Rhein, Chicago Tribune

Jun. 23–Construction begins this summer for two new dining facilities Lyric Opera is creating for its patrons in the Civic Opera House Building.

The restaurants are made possible by the opera company’s $1.8 million purchase of 6,800 square feet of space from Tishman Speyer Properties, with which it co-owns the property at 20 N. Wacker Drive.

A ground-floor restaurant facing Wacker Drive will be constructed in a space formerly occupied by a bank. A second dining area will be added on the third floor by extending the lobby into an unoccupied area of the office building. Both facilities are expected to be open to Lyric patrons around Christmas.

Lyric plans to cover the entire purchase price through contributions, according to company spokeswoman Susan Mathieson Mayer.

Both dining areas will be open on performance days only, and only to ticket holders for that date’s performance, she said.

The ground-floor restaurant, accommodating up to 75, will offer pre-opera dining, as well as drink and dessert service during intermissions and after performances. The third-floor space will be open before performances and at intermission; it will hold up to 150.

The architectural firm of Aumiller Youngquist PC will design both dining areas.

jvonrhein@tribune.com

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