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Botanical Heights

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Botanical Heights is a new name that replaced McRee Town, which at one point was one of the most dangerous urban neighborhoods in the nation. At the time we moved in, the eastern half of the neighborhood had recently been completely torn down and replaced with new housing by a large regional home builder. The western half was assumed to be slated for the same fate; we had a different idea!

Working with a not for profit redevelopment group, the Garden District Commission, which was formed by the nearby Missouri Botanical Garden, we forged a new plan that stabilized the existing building stock and move forward with an ambitious plan for historic rehabilitation and infill building that would re-create a walkable, sustainable, mixed use neighborhood.

To date, our team has developed, designed and built over 40 new homes, dozens of apartments, a facility for Missouri’s top performing charter school, several nationally recognized restaurants and various office and retail spaces. We have guided over $15 million in investments in the neighborhood thus far with another $10 million slated for the coming two years.

The neighborhood has received local and national praise for both the speed and quality of the redevelopment. By working within the context of this long neglected 100 year old neighborhood we have been able to foster a rebirth with the density, amenities, and charm that make city neighborhoods great places to live and work.

Olio and Elaia

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Bush (formally UIC) served as design-builder and developer for this new venture by our good friend, chef Ben Poremba. Olio, described as a “grown-up wine bar and eatery,” is located in a former 1930s Standard Oil station that had been covered in plaster and stood abandoned for over a decade. Following a careful uncovering and analysis of the existing structure to determine the original form and brick pattern, we were able to lovingly complete a rehabilitation of this iconic structure. Olio, and its sister restaurant Elaia, are now an important anchor for our redevelopment of the Botanical Heights neighborhood.

Wild Carrot

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For years, the building at 3901 Shaw Avenue sat unnoticed and slowly deteriorating. While sometimes occupied by a retail tenant or small corner market use, the building was unrecognizable as something that was once a neighborhood gathering space. When the building was suggested as an option to our client by the City, we realized that it had actually been the Shaw Theater in a past life and at about 9300 square feet, was exactly what we were looking for. After exploring the interior, we realized that the old theater portion had huge barrel trusses, exposed brick and other interesting details.

Our team consulted on the development, helping our client to find the building, negotiate the purchase with the City, and utilize Historic Tax Credits. We brought her vision of an event space for hosting weddings and events for up to 200 people. To host variable-sized events, we needed to make the space flexible while respecting the old theater space architecturally. For the most part, we left the space open and exposed, and inserted small, contrasting volumes into the space to house the kitchen, bar, mezzanine, bride and grooms’ rooms, and storage. The arrangement of these spaces allows for variable sized events and some of the existing architectural features create opportunities to divide the space and curate to an event – and also make those evermore important “Instagram-able” moments.

The design and construction team worked collaboratively to create a great space that worked with the budget. We completely renovated the ground floor interior of the building into and event space and a small 2nd floor apartment into an apartment or Air BnB that can be rented along with the space. Using historic tax credits, the exterior was refurbished to its former glory as the Shaw Theater. A large and impressive historic canopy and ticket booth were reconstructed on the front of the building. We worked with the State Historic Preservation Office to make other thoughtful modifications to accommodate the new use.

 

Climb So Ill at The Power Plant

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When brothers and business partners David and Daniel Chancellor and partner Ian Anderson came to us they already had one of the best known and unique brands in the climbing holds and supply business, in So Ill, and wanted to launch an indoor climbing gym that would be on par with their holds business. Working with Bush (previously known as UIC), the team toured spaces across St. Louis, including abandoned malls and breweries, which were capable of holding up to 55 foot high walls and an existing massive bouldering wall. The final location selection was a truly one of a kind opportunity in the former Power Plant to what was the City Hospital complex south of Downtown. We worked with So Ill and the existing building owner to not only understand how the climbing gym could fit, but to also figure out how to insert an adjacent banquet hall and a two story roof top restaurants with a bar looking out over the top of the elite wall, all of which not only created a great facility, but made the project financially viable.

The result is truly one of a kind. Working with Bulgarian based climbing wall designer and fabricator, Walltopia, Bush and So Ill developed a design with vibrant walls contrasted against the rich patina of the carefully maintained existing structure. New elements, such as a series of balconies and stairs and a suite of custom casework and furniture, were designed to match this contrast of elements and to further embellish the unique scale and heights of the spaces.

Bush’s design team embedded themselves in the Climb So Ill team from the outset of the project and did everything they could to help David, Daniel and Ian realize their dream of creating one of the best indoor climbing experiences in the country. Starting with site selection, advising on their award winning business plan, working tirelessly to find the right mix of spaces and materials, and even donning climbing gear to adjust lights 60 foot in the air well into the night the day before opening, Bush became a part of the So Ill team and the success of our client.

 

 

 

 

 

YWCA Rock Island

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From across the street, YWCA Rock Island’s rich history watches as the brand new, 3 story building towers over the old one and pledges a bright future of serving children, youth, families and the community.

The YWCA needed more space to accommodate their growing service offerings for the Rock Island community. This massive project was entrusted to our Bush Construction team. One of the most important features of this multi-use building is the increase in the number of day care slots offering high-quality, affordable services. Additionally, the whole building includes state-of-the-art security features. 

Not only does this building house childcare, it also includes: 

  • Weight training, cardio rooms, workout areas 
  • Administrative offices and conference rooms 
  • Modern, well-equipped classrooms 
  • In room restrooms and lockers 
  • Full-service kitchen with community access 
  • Triple the old freezer/refrigerator space 
  • Large gym/basketball court 
  • “Outdoor” playground area in the middle of the building.  
  • Murals by East Moline’s Atlanta Dawn. 
  • Indoor Waterpark 
  • Water slide, Lap pool, Splash pad. 
  • And more! 

The building’s usable space currently sits at about 64,000 sq ft. A proposed rooftop patio space expansion for event rentals and more would grow the building to 72,000 square feet – triple the old YWCA location’s 24,000 square feet.  

With so much space and a wide variety of services provided, this project came with sizeable costs. But the community rallied behind the mission of the YWCA, and a group of generous donors came together to help finance the endeavor.  

“This project represents more than a building – it’s a place where dreams will be nurtured, skills will be developed, and lives will be uplifted. The YWCA will serve as a safe haven, a learning center, and a beacon of hope in the community for many years to come.”  

– YWCA President and CEO Julie Larson 

 

   

Oak Run Golf Course

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Oak Run Golf Course is a part of the Oak Run (Spoon Lake) lake resort community located in Dahinda, Illinois. This community was originally established in the 1970’s. Bush Construction was honored to replace the original clubhouse with this beautiful, new facility, providing a rustic, yet updated look for the focal point of their golf course.

The clubhouse has an open lobby featuring polished, stained concrete floors, a vaulted ceiling with exposed faux rafters and ductwork. A double-sided fireplace built from cultured stone collected from the lake area separates the lobby from the sports bar. The bar features a concrete bar top. The clubhouse also houses a pro shop, a full restaurant with formal dining, a waiter’s station and a top-quality commercial kitchen.

St. Vincent’s Sports Complex

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The St. Vincent Sports Complex is a 13-acre state-of-the-art athletic facilities project that was Assumption High School and St. Ambrose University’s master plan to enhance the experience of their current and future athletes.

The softball and competition fields portion of this project kicked off in August and was completed in May. Our construction team overcame the challenge of working outside, throughout the winter, by aggressively adhering to the schedule and through creative planning. Grass was growing on the softball field by October and the team worked through welding and sewing the artificial turf during the colder months.

The installation of a new softball field and two competition fields were completed using synthetic turf. The competition fields now accommodate soccer, football, and lacrosse. A new athletic training building, locker rooms, and a concession and restroom facility were also added along with bleachers and a new parking lot.

 

Me & Billy

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The Me + Billy project consisted of three phases.  Phase one included the renovation of a space recently purchased by the owner.  This space expanded their ability to hold private parties.  The new event space, The Fairhaven, is one of a kind in the Quad Cities and features a wide range of unique finishes.

Phase two and three included updating the cooler, dish room and kitchen.  These updates allowed a better flow for back-of-house operations. We completed the kitchen remodel in four working days as it was imperative to provide minimal impact on the owners and their operations.

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