Landmarks Illinois awards $500,000 loan to Chicago nonprofit BandWith to help transform historic building in East Garfield Park into a community performing arts space
July 24 2024 - 10:30AM
Landmarks Illinois is proud to announce it has awarded a $500,000
loan to BandWith, a nonprofit providing access to the performing
arts in Chicago's underserved communities, for the adaptive reuse
of the former Loyal Casket Building in East Garfield Park. This
significant financial support provided through Landmarks Illinois'
Reinvestment Program Loan Fund will help BandWith thoughtfully
transform the historic building at 134 S. California Ave. into a
vibrant community performing arts center.
BandWith will use Landmarks Illinois' loan to cover critical
project planning costs associated with the restoration and reuse of
the former casket factory, including design fees and energy
efficiency and operational planning. Once complete, BandWith's new
home will serve as its headquarters and provide space for free
youth dance, drumline, sound engineering, instrumental and choral
ensemble programs. It will also feature retail and communal spaces
for partner organizations to use. BandWith plans to break ground on
the project this fall, with an expected completion date in
2025.
"Our Reinvestment Loan Program has proven to be a critical
addition to the preservation incentives Landmarks Illinois offers,
helping spark reinvestment and reuse of culturally significant and
historic places," said Landmarks Illinois President & CEO
Bonnie McDonald. "We are thrilled to support BandWith's vision to
revitalize a former factory to foster a vibrant cultural
environment in East Garfield Park. This project will benefit
current and future generations while providing invaluable
opportunities for artistic expression and community engagement."
BandWith currently provides its free programming to
7–18-year-olds in donated space in East Garfield Park, which it has
outgrown. Once complete, its larger home in the former casket
building will enable BandWith to more than double the number of
community members it serves.
"The generous loan from Landmarks Illinois allows BandWith to
move forward with creating a permanent home, giving us room to grow
and continue providing high-quality arts programming to strengthen
and amplify East Garfield Park's presence as part of Chicago's rich
cultural landscape," said Annie Palomino, BandWith's Founder and
Executive Director. "The project will contribute to the well-being,
growth and vibrancy of Chicago's West Side, cementing our
commitment to being a lasting presence in the lives of the families
we serve."
More about the Landmarks Illinois Reinvestment Program
Loan Fund
Landmarks Illinois Reinvestment Program offers loans to
preservation initiatives in Chicago and Illinois, where traditional
financing is either difficult to obtain or unavailable. The more
affordable and accessible lending terms help bring preservation
projects closer to completion. A previous Reinvestment Program Loan
supported Greater Chatham Initiative's effort to create its "Artist
on the 9" co-working space and gallery at a historic building in
Chicago's Greater Grand Crossing Commercial Historic District.
Nonprofit and for-profit organizations, building owners and
renters working to preserve a historic or significant Illinois
building, structure or site are welcome to apply for Landmarks
Illinois Reinvestment Program loans. There are no application
deadlines for Reinvestment Program loans. Loan applications are
processed as received and are considered monthly by the Landmarks
Illinois Reinvestment Committee.
Those interested in applying for a Reinvestment Program loan or
donating to the loan fund should contact Landmarks Illinois
Director of Reinvestment Suzanne Germann. The Reinvestment Program
Loan Fund was established in 2018 through generous gifts from The
1772 Foundation and three individual donors. In 2023, the Richard
H. Driehaus Foundation awarded Landmarks Illinois a substantial
grant for the Reinvestment Loan Program that significantly
increased Landmarks Illinois' capacity to lend in Chicago.
Visit our website at www.Landmarks.org/Reinvestment-Program/ to
learn more about the Reinvestment Program Loan Fund.
About Landmarks Illinois
Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based, historic preservation
nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and
promoting the places people across Illinois value. We advocate for
the sustainable reuse of historic resources, provide expertise and
free resources on preservation and work to ensure that historic
places remain a vital part of the state’s communities. We are
People Saving Places for People. For more information,
visit www.Landmarks.org.
- BandWith's future performing arts center
Kaitlyn McAvoy
Landmarks Illinois
312-995-9679
kmcavoy@landmarks.org