Bulley & Andrews

B&A Breaks Ground On Old Town School of Folk Music Expansion Project

Chicago, Ill. (July 28, 2010) –Old Town School of Folk Music, in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood, broke ground August 5, 2010 on a new 27,100 square-foot expansion.  The $18 million project, to be built by general contractor Bulley & Andrews, will be located across the street from the organization’s primary home on Lincoln Avenue.

The Old Town School of Folk Music has experienced tremendous growth since opening its Lincoln Square facility, a former Chicago Public Library, in 1998.  In fact, this will be the Old Town School’s first new construction project in its 53-year history.  The expansion will offer space to meet the growing needs of the school’s students, faculty and staff and an abundance of new programs. 

The new performing arts education facility, designed by VOA Associates, will be located at 4543 North Lincoln Avenue.  The building will include 16 acoustically-engineered classrooms and three professional dance studios.  The acoustical nature of the design and construction of the building will prove to be a unique and beneficial element for students and staff.  The facility is specially designed for acoustical separation of rooms, which will allow for little to no disruption if multiple classes are in progress.  The new facility will also boast a 2,100 square foot venue with 150 seats that will act as a classroom, community gathering space, dance hall or performance venue. 

“The new Old Town School of Folk Music building is designed as an institutional building compatible with the traditional commercial street façade of North Lincoln Avenue,” said William Ketcham, architect of record for VOA Associates.  “The building is intentional in its proportional respect to the existing facility directly across Lincoln Avenue and is designed to celebrate music and dance.  The architectural detailing of the new facility reinforces music through subtle use of light and texture to illustrate movement.”

Other notable elements of the expansion are plans to achieve LEED Silver certification.  Advanced plumbing technology will be utilized to reduce water usage throughout the building and a green roof, with plants native to the region, will be part of the building program.  Recycled products, regional materials and renewable resources will also be used throughout the construction, with a majority of construction waste being diverted away from landfill and sent to a recycling facility. 

“With the green features and other unique elements that complement the neighborhood, it is rewarding to be part of a project that promises to have such a positive impact on the community,” said Sam Vaccarello, senior project manager for Bulley & Andrews, LLC.

With a great depth of experience in education and community facilities, Bulley & Andrews brings strong leadership and dedication to the project.  Their portfolio also includes projects for DePaul University, North Central College and Levy Senior Center.

 Following the groundbreaking and upon receipt of the building permit, Bulley & Andrews will begin construction on the new three-story building that is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2011.  The new facility will begin to offer new programs, classes, workshops and performances in January 2012.

The school is expecting to raise all the money for the project, for which it has already raised $7.4 million.  Within five years of opening, the new facility aims to increase program access by 60 percent to serve an additional 4,800 students per week.  It will also allow the school to expand outreach programs to public schools and other community partners to serve more children who do not currently have access to quality arts programming.

“The expansion project is an important milestone, as we build room for the Old Town School community to grow,” said Bau Graves, executive director of Old Town School of Folk Music. “Working in conjunction with thetalented design and construction team of VOA Associates and Bulley & Andrews, we know we’ll achieve the goal of building a remarkable new resource for the Lincoln Square neighborhood and for the City of Chicago.”

About Bulley & Andrews, LLC

Established in 1891, Bulley & Andrews is one of Chicago’s oldest and most accomplished general contractors.  The firm’s commitment to quality construction, responsiveness to clients’ needs and attention to detail has earned B&A a reputation for exceeding client’s expectations.  For more information on Bulley & Andrews please visit www.bulley.com.