BandWith Chicago now has a permanent performing-arts home on the West Side, moving into the century-old Loyal Casket Factory at 148 S. California Ave. in East Garfield Park. The renovated building houses drumline, dance, choir, and sound-engineering programs and doubles as a venue for community events. The adaptive reuse keeps the original sawtooth skylights and heavy-timber structure in place while adding modern practice rooms and a professional recording studio.
As reported by Connect CRE, LJC led the overhaul of the Loyal Casket Factory, converting it into a community hub for BandWith Chicago. The project gives the nonprofit a permanent base for its programming and is expected to serve about 1,000 youth and community members each year. LJC associate principal Nicholas Moen told Connect CRE that "Every aspect of the project was guided by BandWith’s needs," a sign that the building was designed around the program's first and everything else second.
According to BandWith Chicago, the site is a roughly 25,000-square-foot center purchased with support from the Glasser and Rosenthal families and backed by more than $13.5 million raised for the project. The nonprofit says after-school and multigenerational programming launched this spring, listing ensembles, drumline, and music production among its offerings. Leaders add that the new recording studio also supports apprenticeship and job-training pathways tied to music and sound production.
Spaces Built for Music and Jobs
The interior buildout includes dedicated rehearsal rooms for bands and drumlines, a choral rehearsal room, a dance studio, five private practice rooms, a music library, and a professional recording studio. A full-service coffee shop, a flexible community room, and an outdoor plaza are designed to host neighborhood events and performances, according to Taylor Johnson.
Neighborhood Anchor on the West Side
BandWith presents the center as a neighborhood anchor, pointing to a 2024 groundbreaking and a 2025 ribbon-cutting that drew more than 300 people. The organization frames the space as a place to expand cultural programming while connecting young musicians with mentors and local music professionals, a role its leaders say is intended to open employment pathways in the arts.
Annie Palomino, BandWith's founder and executive director, called the project "more than a facility, it’s a physical expression of belief in our students’ potential," according to Connect CRE. LJC's Nicholas Moen noted that keeping the original masonry and skylights intact was both a key design move and a way to root the center in the neighborhood's industrial history.
Community events and classes are already appearing on local calendars, and volunteers and donors continue to back program expansion as enrollment grows. For information on classes, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming performances, BandWith lists registration and event details on its website.
