(In October, BandWith broke ground on reusing the former Loyal Casket Building in East Garfield Park. Credit Sarah Larson)
February 11, 2025
By Kaitlyn McAvoy, Director of Communications
(This article originally appeared in our January 2025 edition of our print newsletter, The Arch. Read The Arch here.)
In 2024, Landmarks Illinois provided two loans through its Reinvestment Program Loan Fund to support the reuse of historic places in Chicago. In July, Landmarks Illinois closed a $500,000 loan to BandWith for the adaptive reuse of the former Loyal Casket Building in East Garfield Park. BandWith is a nonprofit providing access to the performing arts in Chicago’s underserved communities. This fall we gave a $300,000 loan to Plant Chicago for its restoration and reuse of a historic former firehouse in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.
Plant Chicago is a nonprofit dedicated to creating local circular economies where resources are reused, recycled and shared within a community to minimize waste. It operates out of a historic former firehouse, built in 1908, at 4459 S. Marshfield Ave. Plant Chicago’s space provides a place for the community to drop off home items like kitchen scraps for composting, old batteries to be recycled and unwanted books and puzzles to be swapped and enjoyed by others. It also offers educational programming, a retail market selling food, beverages, home and garden goods, and other locally made products.
The organization is renovating the historic firehouse to improve accessibility and make it more energy efficient. The building currently has electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels on its roof. The loan from Landmarks Illinois will help support predevelopment costs associated with the renovation project.
(Clockwise from left, Former firehouse in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, Plant Chicago Education Manager Tom Knapp and Avi Kazen (co-facilitator) lead a Mushroom Growing class, Dulce Morales, Land Steward and co-founder of Cedillo’s Fresh Produce, during Plant Chicago’s Mercado de Intercambio in October. Courtesy Plant Chicago.)
“Plant Chicago is renovating a former Chicago firehouse to be a center for circular economy programming,” said Jonathan Pereira, Executive Director of Plant Chicago. “When complete, the project will be over 90 percent decarbonized, be ADA accessible and include a shared-use indoor farm. The project is relying on a lot of pledges of public funding and this loan from Landmarks Illinois will ensure that we have cash on hand to pay for work in case of delays. We are lucky to have partners like Landmarks Illinois that are willing to be flexible with a nonprofit like us and think out of the box!”
Both BandWith and Plant Chicago serve their community and aim to provide equal access to programs and services. BandWith currently provides its free programming to 7–18-year-olds in donated space it has outgrown. Once transformed, the large former casket company building will serve as the organization’s headquarters and provide ample 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 broke ground on its reuse project in October and expects to complete it later this year. The loan from Landmarks Illinois helped BandWith cover critical project planning costs, including design fees and energy efficiency and operational planning.
“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.”
Interested in learning more about the Landmarks Illinois Reinvestment Program or applying for a loan? The program is currently focused on offering loans to preservation initiatives in historically disinvested neighborhoods on Chicago’s South and West Sides. The more affordable and accessible lending terms of our program help bring preservation projects closer to completion. 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. Visit www.Landmarks.org/reinvestment-program to learn more.