Muddy Waters MOJO Museum - House Rehab

IMPORTANT NOTE: Starting Sept. 30, 2021 GoFundMe Charity merged with GoFundMe.com. This means we had to close out our original GoFundMe campaign and start over, but if you donated to that fundraiser we have received the funds and are so very grateful. To learn more about this change, visit this GoFundMe page .


REBUILDING THE ORIGINAL HOUSE OF BLUES

 

Bring Muddy Waters’ music to life by supporting the rehab and stabilization of the historical Muddy Waters House in Chicago!

On June 3, 2021, the City of Chicago granted preliminary landmark designation of this house because of its significant historical contributions.

 

Imagine sitting in a room filled with music makers. Their creativity comes alive as they jam with each other trying new riffs – testing what their instruments can do. They’ve come to learn, to be inspired, and to be in the room where music history was made. They’ve come to the Muddy Waters MOJO Museum in a neighborhood bursting with stories of cultural, political, and social luminaries who made – and changed – history. This is a place for music, for learning, for events and to be in community with others who feel the power of Chicago’s original electric blues, pioneered by Muddy Waters.

 

Be a part of the MOJO Museum.

 

The MOJO Museum board of directors envisions creating a museum and cultural center dedicated to sharing Waters' music and inspiring future generations of musicians. The eponymous nonprofit was formed in 2019 to implement this vision by garnering support, establishing partnerships and finding necessary resources to bestow upon the legendary music maker the honor and respect he deserves. With your donation, we can honor Muddy Waters and celebrate Chicago blues properly.

 

The nonprofit, Muddy Waters MOJO Museum Inc., was established in November 2019 as a critical step forward towards the museum’s establishment. Its mission is to preserve and protect the Muddy Waters legacy, house, and story through authentic educational experiences, music inspiration and community services. The nonprofit’s vision is that all generations will be empowered and inspired to keep blues music alive, and to celebrate the Muddy Waters house, history, his legacy, and sound. The organization has a dedicated Board of Directors with relevant knowledge and experience to create the museum’s programming. Learn more at the MOJO Museum website .

 

www.mojomuseum.com

 

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Project Phases and Costs

The project expenses were estimated by the Chicago-based preservation architecture and engineering firm, Klein & Hoffman, who donated their services to support this project. The firm's architects conducted a building condition assessment site visit in February 2020. In its final report dated March 6, 2020, Klein & Hoffman recommended a three-phase repair plan. They worked with construction firm Berglund Construction's Preservation Division, who also donated their services, to estimate material and labor costs. Labor costs assume the use of a union contractor and paying prevailing wage, however, this project is not required to use union labor.

 

Phase I – Critical Repairs

• Replacing the roof, replacing the downspout, and replacing missing clay tile copings

• Re-securing and replacing plywood board-ups, as needed on the north, east elevation

• Complete repair of the bay window including reconstructing the bay, installing a new wood double-hung window and repairing the bay window roof

• Masonry repairs to the west, north, and east elevations, including repairing the brick arch above the main entrance door, as well as the basement and first-floor window arches on the north elevation

• Interior repairs to remove water-damaged finishes and provide mold abatement, as necessary, on the first and second stories

• Repairing timber beams in the basement

TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: $179,850

 

Phase 2 – High Priority Maintenance Repairs

• Replace perimeter roof flashing, reseal clay tile coping joints, and replace gutters on east elevation

• Remove existing wood porch on the east elevation and building a new porch to meet Code

• Masonry repairs on all elevations – including 100% repointing of brick mortar joints, replacing damaged limestone sills, and rebuilding arched brick window heads on the north elevation

• Window, door and transom repairs and replacement, and glass block repair, on the west, north and south elevations

• Infill abandoned window openings with brick on the south elevation

• Removing vegetation growing on the west elevation

TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: $357,306

 

Phase 3 – Long Term Repairs and Upgrades

• Removing the front porch on the west elevation and replace with a new wood-framed porch to match the original appearance.

• New aluminum exterior doors on the east and south elevation

• New vinyl double-hung windows on the north, east and south elevations (secondary façade)

• New glass block basement window

• An undetermined amount of MEP throughout the house, including removing abandoned mechanical, electrical and plumbing and upgrading and installing new MEP. This would include new plumbing, ventilation, ductwork and equipment for new central heating and cooling, and modifications to the electrical, as necessary (adds up to $150,000)

TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: $267,244

 

TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COST OF ALL PHASES - $804,400

(includes performance and payment bonds, general provisions, mobilization, and site protection, architectural engineering fees, labor and materials)

 

Phases 4 – 7

Expenses for these four phases have not yet been estimated. Prioritization has been placed on estimating building repair costs to provide a venue for the programming.

 

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