Historical Restoration

The upper stories of the Lawrence Building, in Sterling, Illinois, stood vacant for 50 years. Bush Construction renovated the 22,000 SF second through fifth floors of this office building, originally built in 1910, and converted them into 20 residential units now named the Lawrence Lofts. The first floor remains under the ownership of the Whiteside County Courthouse Extension Office.

Located in downtown Sterling, this project is part of the City’s revitalization plan of adaptive re-use of underutilized buildings.

The 90-year-old, 50,000 SF renovation and addition to the Jackson Square Apartments involved transforming a former industrial manufacturing facility into trendy, living space. This project allowed Bush Construction to delve into the multi-family residential market for the first time. We worked closely with the architect during the design phase to get the project within budget while still meeting the owner’s request for a functional urban style.

This historical structure required abatement of the asbestos in various locations as well as the remediation of regulated materials from numerous storage areas within and surrounding the building. Much of the building’s original structure and features were retained in order to provide a character-rich project, including exposed brick walls and wood floor structure. The westernmost portion of the building represents the original structure, which was restored to its former glory by cleaning and tuck-pointing the terra cotta tile and brick. The west wing of the building is also on Rock Island’s list of historic buildings, which required special approval prior to the replacement of windows.

What was once an urban brownfield is now an attractive center for family living and commerce.