Chicago Construction News staff writer
Landmarks Illinois will provide 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.
Financial support through Landmarks Illinois’ Reinvestment Program Loan Fund will help BandWith transform the historic building at 134 S. California Ave. into a community performing arts center.
“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.”
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.”
The 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.
To apply for a Reinvestment Program loan or donating to the loan fund 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 www.Landmarks.org/Reinvestment-Program/ for information about the Reinvestment Program Loan Fund.
