Landmarks Illinois Will Honor Cedar Street Companies at Cocktail Reception at the Rehabilitated Bush Temple in Chicago
June 13, 2017
Media Contact:
Kaitlyn McAvoy
Communications Manager, Landmarks Illinois
312-922-1742
kmcavoy@landmarks.org
CHICAGO, IL – Landmarks Illinois, a statewide nonprofit helping people save historic places important to their community, will present Cedar Street Companies with its 2017 Real Estate and Building Industries Council (RBIC) Award at a cocktail networking reception Tuesday, July 25 from 5:30- 7:30 p.m. at the historic Bush Temple of Music in Chicago.
The annual RBIC event honors companies modeling successful adaptive reuse in the spaces they have transformed through preservation. Cedar Street Companies has rehabilitated the Bush Temple of Music, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by architect J.E.O. Pridmore and built in 1901, Bush Temple once housed the headquarters and showroom of the Bush and Gerts Piano Company. Cedar Street Companies has restored and transformed the building into 101 apartments and four retail spaces. Residents of Bush Temple will have access to hotel-like amenities, including a state-of-the-art fitness center and boxing club, bike room, rooftop deck and grand lobby, and live in a building with a unique story and character.
While Cedar Street has added modern luxuries to Bush Temple, many of the building’s historic details have been preserved. Bush Temple has its original skylights on the first floor and original marble walls in its corridors. Terrazzo flooring throughout the building has been maintained. Many apartment units also have original single-panel doors with fritted glass and restored panel windows.
“Cedar Street has become known for its creative and exciting apartment conversions, which leverage historic character as part of a successful business model,” said Bonnie McDonald, President and CEO of Landmarks Illinois. “We’re looking forward to highlighting Cedar Street’s completed projects and helping reveal its latest project to our network of industry professionals.”
Cedar Street Companies, which controls the FLATS Chicago apartment development company, acquired Bush Temple in 2014 after the building sat vacant for years. Cedar Street’s transformation of Bush Temple received national recognition in 2015 when it was named by Bisnow Media as one of “8 of the Most Important Micro Unit Developments in the US.” Additional preservation projects completed by Cedar Street, or soon to open, include its former offices in Uptown, Lawrence House, the Bachelor, the Manchester, 1422 Milwaukee and a dozen other commercial and residential properties. Alex Samoylovich, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Cedar Street, will be at Landmarks Illinois’ July 25 reception to receive the RBIC award on behalf of Cedar Street.
“We are honored to be recognized by Landmarks Illinois’ RBIC for our work in acquiring and transforming historic properties,” said Samoylovich. “Cedar Street saw great potential in the historic Bush Temple, and we’re excited to showcase the craftsmanship and detail we put into rehabilitating the Chicago Landmark at this upcoming event.”
Tickets for the RBIC event are available at $100 (private sector) and $50 (nonprofits/public sector). Reservations are required, and space is limited. To purchase tickets, click here. For more information, visit our events page at www.Landmarks.org or call 312-922-1742. Proceeds from this event benefit Landmarks Illinois.
Current sponsors of the 2017 RBIC event are: Associated Bank; Cedar Street Companies; Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture; JSL Masonry Restoration; MacRostie Historic Advisors; Plante Moran; Premier Mechanical Inc.; Riverside Investment & Development Company; Sullivan, Goulette & Wilson Ltd.; and W.E. O’Neil.
About Landmarks Illinois
Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based nonprofit organization serving the people of Illinois. We inspire and empower stakeholders to save places that matter to them by providing free guidance, practical and financial resources and access to strategic partnerships. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org.
About Landmarks Illinois’ Real Estate and Building Council
Currently led by c0-chairs Anne Voshel of AVA Consultants and JJ Smith of CA Ventures, the RBIC has hosted networking and educational industry events since 1993. The RBIC annual awards program recognizes individuals, firms and organizations that demonstrate a dedication to sustaining the unique character and livability of our neighborhoods through historic preservation including adaptive reuse and thoughtful planning. Landmarks Illinois leverages RBIC events to showcase and promote that preservation is not only possible, it is economically feasible. Other recent restoration projects the RBIC has recognized include the Burlington Room at Union Station, Chicago Athletic Association, Old Colony Building, Infinite Apartments, Wrigley Building and Randolph Tower. For more information, visit the RBIC events page on our website.