The former Bush and Gerts Piano Co. showroom, located at 108 W. Chicago Ave. in Chicago, has recently reopened as Bush Temple, a 101-unit apartment community renovated and restored by CEDARst Cos. under its FLATS multifamily brand. Over 800 interested potential tenants had signed up on the building’s waiting list before leasing began on Dec. 1.
The French Renaissance Revival building, also known as French Chateauesque, was constructed in 1901 as the showroom of the Bush and Gerts Piano Co. It gained the name "Bush Temple of Music" from its on-site auditorium, which was removed from the building in the 1920s. The showroom was converted into office space in the 1950s, which it remained until CEDARst's renovation. It is one of the few surviving French Chateauesque buildings in Chicago.
In its extensive restoration efforts, CEDARst preserved the building’s original skylights, terrazzo flooring, marble walls, and fritted glass. The original entrance corridor has been expanded into a larger, modern-style lobby, and over 8,500 square feet of prime retail has been added to the ground floor. Many of the property’s design features recall its history, including original furniture restored by designer Heather Fritz, sheet-music displays on the walls, and several pianos in the lobby. One of the pianos is played regularly by guest musicians, while another, built in the early 20th century, is a designated showpiece.
"There’s always a large internal effort as it relates to interior design, to identify that point in which our program and preservation are in conflict and carefully navigate our way through those areas of conflict," says Mark Heffron, one of the managing partners at CEDARst. "For today’s use, we wanted the lobby to be grander, and we had to do some level of demolition that included the original walls. And, you know, being sensitive to that, what we’re demolishing that was original is always something that's important to identify up front, and maybe doing more on a preservation front elsewhere in the building to make up for that."
All of the studios and one-bedroom apartments are pet-friendly. Each includes in-unit laundry, glass-enclosed rain showers, quartz countertops, retro-style refrigerators, hardwood floors, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Amenities include a rooftop deck, a rooftop dog landing, a gym, a boxing ring, and expansive bike storage.
"[Tenants] who move into buildings that are historical renovations want to live there because the building has a higher level of authenticity," Heffron says. "And they love that. And that’s something that you don’t get to walk through when you’re in new construction. A lot of the new-construction projects do end up feeling very similar, and all of these projects feel very unique."
CEDARst Cos. received the 2017 Chicago Landmarks Award for Preservation Excellence from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks for its renovation and restoration work on Bush Temple. The developer also received the 2017 Real Estate Building Industries Council Award from Landmarks Illinois in July. “This building is a Chicago architectural treasure with landmark status that we were meticulous in preserving,” says Heffron. “We're honored that the city of Chicago recognized and commended our efforts.”
