Aurora's St. Charles Senior Living Center has earned the 2017 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award by Landmarks Illinois, a nonprofit organization advocating for the protection of historic and architecturally significant properties throughout the state.
Each year, Landmarks Illinois honors nine historic preservation projects and the people who made them happen. The agency will present the 2017 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation President's Award for Rehabilitation to the City of Aurora at its annual awards ceremony next month in Chicago.
"When I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Aurora St. Charles Senior Living facility in January, I was impressed by how many people from the community were there to celebrate, including neighbors and elected officials," said Bonnie McDonald, Landmarks Illinois president and CEO. "The rehabilitation of this National Register listed site has truly been a revitalizing force for the entire neighborhood."
Located at 400 E. New York St. in Aurora, the project transformed the former St. Charles Hospital, a six-story Art Deco building, into a 60-unit senior housing complex.
The site was redeveloped as the state's first affordable housing project to use the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Historic Tax Credit,
The rehabilitation project included cleaning and repairing the original Art Deco-style brick, limestone and terra cotta exterior and restoring and converting the original chapel and balcony to a community room for the building's residents.
"This is another great example of a cross-section of people, organizations and agencies working together for the good of Aurora," said Mayor Richard Irvin. "While serving as an alderman during the rehab process, I was able to see firsthand the vision become a reality. All of those who helped to plan, approve and finalize this incredible project deserve the statewide recognition for a job well done. This is what it means to build Aurora together."
Other 2017 award winners include: All Saints Episcopal Church and Rosenwald Court Apartments in Chicago, Unity Temple in Oak Park, Cooperage 214 in Peoria and Joliet Central High School in Joliet.