Loftwalk highlights possibilities of urban living

Historic Commercial Street showed off its loft apartments Sept. 2 during the Com-mercial Club's fifth annual Loftwalk. Pro-ceeds of the event will help support Commercial Street's Open-Air Sculpture Gallery. Clockwise from above, architect John Luce and his wife, design engineer Jennifer Luce, are renovating their building at 302 East Commercial and recently uncovered a well-preserved wall painting advertising Beeman's Gum on the second floor. The original building dates to 1895. At top, sunlight spills across the polished hardwood floors of the homey loft at 326 1/2 E. Commercial. Art and music are obvious passions of Paul Catlett, the resident at 210-A E. Commercial. A decorative and functional exterior entrance overlooking a walled garden is a unique aspect of Murl and Barbara Erwin's loft at 224 E. Commercial. Far right, Greg Braeckel enjoys the advantages of lofty living hardwood floors, high ceilings and plenty of natural light in his loft at 210-B E. Commercial. Gaylene Anderson blends old- and new-style furnishings in her loft at 225-A E. Commercial, which is brightened by tall windows along the south wall of the building, fronting Commercial Street. Another painted advertisement, this one for A.B. Conklin Dry Goods, is a prominent feature of Ron Schie's loft at 225-E E. Commercial, a building redeveloped by Craig and Andy Hosmer.