Additional funding has been approved for the new BandWith Chicago headquarters at 134 S California Avenue in East Garfield Park. The non-profit organization will be redeveloping an existing industrial building bound by W Wilcox Street to the north and W Adams Street to the south. The organization itself is leading the development with Lamar Johnson Collaborative working on its design.
Site context map of 134 S California Avenue via Google Maps
BandWith dates back to 2013 when budget cuts led to the termination of the band program at LEARN Campbell Charter School in East Garfield Park, this led teacher Annie Palomino to start the program herself. Its goal is to provide free music instruction within schools, offer after school programming, small group instruction, assembly play, and performance opportunities for students, serving over 140 kids annually.
Rendering of new BandWith Chicago HQ by Lamar Johnson Collaborative
After purchasing the sawtooth industrial structure, the organization is moving forward with the remodel of the 21,460-square-foot structure. Inside will be educational, rehearsal, and performance spaces used to house their free dance, drumline, sound engineering, instrumental and choral assemble programs. The organization also hopes to expand its services to include job training and potential employment for the teens enrolled.
Current view of 134 S California Avenue via Google Maps
Along with office space for BandWith, additional office space will be made available for Deborah’s Place which provides social services for homeless women. A small retail space will also be used for a new outpost of Dark Matter Coffee with a large mural. The project will cost $12.4 million mostly funded with TIF, grants, and tax credits, with an additional $100,000 just granted as part of the Cook County Starting Blocks Program.
Work is slated to begin this spring with an early 2025 completion.
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Seeing a lot of great community-based ideas coming to fruition in Garfield Park. Great to see the reuse of such a cool building too.