Sound Conservatory’s roof in need of tune-up

Andrzej (“Andre”) Kozlowski has pianos for sale — from wonderful to wow. He sells other instruments, too and has a dozen other instrumentalists teaching 220+ students from across the Quad Cities. What his Sound Conservatory business doesn’t have is a decent roof on its historical building in downtown Rock Island. If he can’t come up with $250,000 for the roof, Mr. Kozlowski says he can’t get a mortgage. He’ll probably move his business elsewhere, but he fears the Quad Cities will likely lose another piece of history. The Polish-American concert pianist — turned entrepreneur — is in the process of buying the former longtime furniture showroom at 1600 2nd Ave. from its current owner, the YWCA Quad Cities. The YWCA had used the storefront as an annex because of its proximity to the YWCA’s longtime headquarters.

Sound Conservatory is housed in what was the Illinois Theatre (circa 1901). “But to me this building is more than just a place of business,” he told the QCBJ. Referencing the demolished Rock Island County Courthouse — just one short block away, he said, “I don’t want to see another historic building torn down, especially since we’ve got something good here (instruments for sale and music lessons).” Mr. Kozlowski has launched a Go Fund Me campaign to raise the funds for the roof repairs. He first opened the Sound Conservatory in March 2022 on downtown Rock Island’s West 3rd Ave. But the business grew so fast, that he thought he’d found the perfect building for all his visions in his new location at 2nd Avenue and 16th Street. Among his other talents, he’s a carpenter on the side and has already renovated the first floor of the building. He is working with the City of Rock Island on two financial programs — one is a grant and the other is a forgivable loan. But Mr. Kozlowski needs a mortgage first. A roof replacement loan is based on the building — and the owner. One roofing company found “more issues than expected” and more sheathing needs to be laid down, he said. He said there are not any structural issues at this time. The one roof quote he has is about $250,000. The 15,000-square-foot roof is both flat and gabled. Contractors found more damage than expected between the flat roof and the parapet, the low protective wall along the edge. The latter has to be replaced because of water damage. “We want to get that roof replaced and fixed what we need to fix as soon as possible,” he said. “Because the last thing I want to see happen is that this 1901 building get beyond return. This is an incredible piece of history. I can easily move my business elsewhere, but then what happens to this building?” He believes the YWCA has greater fundraising priorities of its own as it moves forward on construction of a new $19 million facility at 17th Street and 5th Avenue for its new headquarters. But he also worries that the YWCA might have to let the building go to the point it could be demolished. Julie Larson, the YWCA’s president and CEO, told the QCBJ in an email that when Mr. Kozlowski expressed interest in the annex building, the YWCA was excited about his prospects and “bringing music to the District.” She added: “We negotiated a fair as-is price and were able to relocate everything from the annex to our main facility to continue programming. The YWCA is 100% supportive of Andre’s efforts and has helped with the cost of utilities, so he can focus on growing his business.” While the YWCA hopes his business is successful and he can secure the funds for a new roof, she said “If we weren’t still fundraising ourselves, we would roll up our sleeves and help him.” Ms. Larson also told the QCBJ that the YWCA has no plans to demolish the building. “It would be unfortunate if Andre has to walk away. However, it’s a beautiful piece of history for downtown Rock Island and I’m certain it’s a fit for someone.” Since launching his Go Fund Me campaign, Mr. Kozlowski is getting good reaction to the effort and to his Facebook pleas. He wants to make it very clear that the money will be used for only replacing the roof, and if he can’t reach the necessary goal, he’ll return the money. He said he’s not a “taker,” and feels awkward asking others for help. The Sound Conservatory has called the building home since last September. The first floor sports his piano and instrument retail space while he has plans to turn the second floor into a 450-seat concert and events venue. The public also can rent the space. The business has already brought in several concert instrumentalists, including some Grammy winners and he’s already in conversations with even bigger-named artists for 2024. While there are no current plans for the building’s third floor, at one point he envisioned converting it into condos. He’s open to investors who might have ideas — and roof money. “It is a phenomenal space, tall ceilings, incredible views,” Mr. Kozlowski said. He even has discounted a wide selection of pianos in an effort to raise money for the repairs. “History is important. We need to know where we came from to know where we’re going,” he said. “If you eliminate a building like this, you close the door to historical curiosity.” As he wrote on his Go Fund Me page, “Our biggest goal, which is a result of the combination of all the things we do, is to help revitalize downtown Rock Island and make it a thriving community again.” “Through job creation, tax revenue generation through our retail sales, education programs and entertainment events but most importantly, bringing the community together, we believe we are a strong, yet still fast-growing contributor to that goal,” he wrote. For more information or to help, Mr. Kozlowski can be reached at (309) 948-9400, www.soundconservatory.com or www.gofundme.com/f/helpus-save-the-sound-conservatory-building.