July 1, 2020
The historic Egyptian Theatre in Downtown DeKalb is excited to announce it has been featured in the virtual groundbreaking video for the new Facebook data center that is currently under construction on the south side of DeKalb.
“We couldn’t be happier to have been chosen as a featured location in this very exciting announcement,” Egyptian Theatre Executive Director Alex Nerad said. “We were thrilled to see a company as prominent as Facebook immediately want to immerse themselves in our community and we are happy to welcome them to DeKalb.”
The virtual groundbreaking video, which is just over three minutes in length, features shots from all across the DeKalb community. The Egyptian Theatre served as the backdrop for DeKalb Mayor Jerry Smith’s interview. The Theatre is also featured throughout the video with shots of the auditorium as well as the marquee lit up at night.
“Facebook representatives said they loved that this community had saved and preserved this historic theatre,” Nerad said. “We always talk about the Egyptian Theatre being the jewel of DeKalb and so it is great to see that featured in such a prominent worldwide announcement.”
The Egyptian has been closed since mid-March due to the impact of COVID-19. The small film crew for the Facebook video utilized the Theatre for two days in early June along with other locations throughout the DeKalb community.
The Egyptian Theatre located at 135 N. 2nd Street in Downtown DeKalb, IL is owned and operated by Preservation of Egyptian Theatre, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Annual support provided by First National Bank, Northwestern Medicine, Shaw Media, and Tapa La Luna.
