Karcher Building Converted to Artspace Lofts

Waukegan, IL

Teaming with 4240 Architecture, AltusWorks provided masonry assessment and repair expertise for the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of the nine-story brick and terra cotta hotel building listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located in the heart of Waukegan, Illinois. The renovation converted the abandoned hotel into 36 live/work artist units, commonly known as the ArtSpace Lofts, while adhering to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. AltusWorks performed a visual and binocular survey of all elevations to determine observable deficiencies and, based on those observations, generated a prioritized repair and renovation program which resulted in a comprehensive façade restoration. AltusWorks advised the Architect and the Owner on work required by the National Park Service and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency in order to obtain federal Historic Tax Credits as a critical financing mechanism for the project.