$1.9 million master plan proposed for David Adler Music & Arts Center
A century after renowned architect David Adler began converting an old farmhouse on the northern edge of Libertyville to a country estate, a determined effort to preserve and enhance the legacy for another 100 years is getting underway.
"There's a lot here. I think if we can get this going, people who live here will want to see it and others will, too," said Amy Williams, executive director of the David Adler Music & Arts Center.
The prominent "1-0-0" numerals near the entrance to 1700 N. Milwaukee Ave. mark the milestone for some 20,000 drivers who pass daily.
But there is much more involved than a centennial anniversary party. After years of wishful thinking to preserve and enhance the building and grounds, a $1.9 million master plan is in place and a campaign to raise money to make it happen is being developed.
"It's a historically and architecturally significant piece of land that is also our home," said Ben Johnson, a commercial banker and president of the board overseeing the village-owned property.
"We have an obligation to improve it and bring it back to its former glory, if you will," he said.
Plans have been discussed over the years, but no major action has resulted,
"We've never got beyond the conceptual stage," Johnson said. "This is by far the farthest we've advanced. It needs to be done and, frankly, it should be done."
Patrons of the arts and music have been appreciative, but the general public is not nearly as aware of the background and significance of the old white house on the east side of Milwaukee Avenue between the school and park.
When Adler died in 1949, his estate included a 23-room farmhouse and 240 acres east beyond the Des Plaines River. The house is a predominantly Colonial Revival style - among others - as he used the property as a pallette for new designs. Riding paths, a swimming pool with his and her pool houses, a tennis court and a formal garden was part of the landscape.
The property was gifted to the village in the 1950s on the condition the house and grounds be maintained and developed as a cultural and recreational center for the community.
The village is responsible for maintenance and has done some capital improvements, such as replacing the HVAC system, but the operation of the Adler Center house and 11 remaining acres falls to the nonprofit organization, founded in 1980.
All the public spaces are intact. Major historic features remain but need a lot of work to revive.
There is no timetable, but the initial phase, estimated at $872,773, involves renovating the rear terrace, fencing the property and creating a new parking area. The work would "visually establish the magnitude" of the estate and solve safety issues, according to the plan.
Future work to create a picnic area outside and renovate spaces inside to add classroom and program space would allow for more special events to generate revenue.
While the village provides some money for repairs, major work will have to be self-funded. According to its 2016 federal tax return, the center had $596,086 in total revenue, largely from lessons and programs; $589,460 in expenses; and net assets including cash and the buildings and property of $464,913.
Adler officials will pitch the ideas to the village board, which must approve the master plan, and are developing a marketing and fundraising campaign.