News
Apr 10, 2025 _ news
From Abandoned Big Box to Big Dream Fulfilled
Residents of Rushville, Indiana had an abandoned big box store and an even bigger dream: to unite disparate community programs into one place that helps break down social, economic, and physical barriers to promote connectivity, growth, and togetherness.
Recently local leaders and community members came together to celebrate the realization of that dream by cutting the ribbon on the new Love Community Center. This adaptive reuse transformation has resulted in a daylight filled amenity for people of all ages. It includes a public library, fitness center, pool, and basketball courts as well as a senior center, social services, childcare services, food pantry, and meeting spaces.
“This project is a beautiful expression of how architecture, interiors, and environmental graphic design can come together to create a cohesive story and an impactful experience,” says Claire Shafer, who was part of the project team.
As early partners with the project’s steering committee, we were able to help in a variety of impactful ways, including supporting their fundraising efforts with renderings and narratives to secure critical funding needed to launch the project, including a $5M award from the Eli Lilly Endowment’s Gift VII program. Interior spaces and amenities are organized around a “main street,” that leverages the building’s large, open interior to provide a welcoming, daylit public space where visitors can take in all that the center offers. The transformation also included crafting a new identity for the building through its façade, creating more openings to allow in daylight, and repurposing part of the surface parking lot as outdoor space for socializing and connecting.
Read more about our work on this project here and more about how we transform abandoned big box retail into beautiful, functional space here and here.
