“A ‘very smoky’ deck fire atop a historic Near North apartment building drew lots of attention Wednesday morning but caused no injuries and ‘no real structural damage,’ according to the Chicago Fire Department.
“The rooftop deck of the Bush Temple flats at 108 W. Chicago Ave. caught fire, causing billows of smoke to rise in the skyline, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.
“No one was injured, Langford said. The fire did not reach inside or compromise the five-story building, he said. The cause of the deck fire is under investigation, he said.
“Will Murphy, CEO of CEDARst Companies, which owns the Bush Temple building, said in a statement the company “would like to thank the Chicago Fire Department for their incredible efforts and immediate response.” Residents returned to their apartments a few hours after the fire, Murphy said.(Proctor, Chicago Tribune, 6/16/21)
“Built in 1901, the former Bush Temple of Music piano showroom reopened in late 2017 as boutique rental apartments. The ornate building in the French Renaissance Revival style is hard to miss on the corner of Chicago Avenue and Clark Street, and is a designated Chicago Landmark. Cedar Street bought the vacant structure in 2014 and, along with restoration architects Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture (HPA), embarked on an extensive renovation and conversion to 101 studio- and one-bedroom residential units for FLATS®. These living spaces skew small, in accordance with the growing appetite for micro-dwellings in buildings that instead emphasize shared amenities. On offer at Bush Temple is a lobby appointed as a community lounge with cushy furniture and vintage pianos and a 5,000-square-foot basement gymnasium complete with a boxing ring. Street-level retailers include the popular Foxtrot Market.” (Open House Chicago, Bush Temple of Music)