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Former St. Charles lamp factory to be converted into townhouses

When architect Jeffrey Funke first stumbled upon a 114-year-old former lamp factory in St. Charles, he saw more than a vacant brick structure in need of repair. He saw potential.

Plans to bring the property at 214 S. 13th Ave. back to life involve converting the existing two-story building into nine townhouses, as well as creating a third floor and rooftop balcony. A second phase would add five townhouse units to the building's east side, among other improvements.

The transformation of the historic building, to be called Crystal Loft Townhomes, could begin as early as this fall if developers secure building permits and get final city council approval, said Funke, an area resident and president of Chicago-based Funke Architects. His goal is to preserve some of the structure's history while modernizing the space with elements such as exposed beams, brick walls and concrete floors.

"Instead of demolishing an old, beautiful building, we're restoring it," Funke said. "We think it's going to be a great looking building when it's done."

The industrial structure was built in 1904 for the Heinz Brothers Cut Glass Co., and was later used as a lamp factory. The building has been largely vacant for years, said Rita Tungare, the city's community and economic development director.

"It's a pretty neat project what's being proposed," she said. "Given its proximity to downtown St. Charles, our core central business district, I think it'll be nice to get some additional rooftops and to get the property cleaned up."

It also could be a breath of fresh air for the adjacent residential neighborhood, she said.

The 14 owner-occupied townhouses will be 2,000 square feet to 2,600 square feet, Funke said, and prices will range from $390,000 to $490,000. The city council approved the initial concept in late 2017, about a month before the development group closed on the property this past January.

Plans have been altered slightly since then, Tungare said, mostly to ensure the detached garages planned for each unit don't fall into the floodplain along the 7th Avenue Creek. Revised architecture, landscaping and engineering plans were brought to the committee level this week and are expected to be considered by the city council within the next month, she said.

"The idea of having a historic structure and contemporary ideas, I think, complement each other," Funke said. "Taking the old and the new and bringing it together - it makes for great architecture and great design."

A former St. Charles lamp factory will be transformed into a residential development that architect Jeffrey Funke hopes will maintain some of the building's history. Courtesy of the city of St. Charles
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