COVINGTON, Ky. – The City of Covington is proud to honor City Studios Architecture for the SparkHaus project at 721 Madison Avenue with the 2026 Exterior Restoration Award in the Mixed-Use/Commercial category.
The Preservation Excellence Awards honor individuals and organizations whose preservation projects thoughtfully protect, restore, and adapt Covington’s historic buildings. The awards are presented each year during National Preservation Month in May and recognize projects completed between January and December 2025.
SparkHaus is a new entrepreneurial hub and coworking space located at 721 Madison Ave in the former Sims Furniture building. Constructed in 1929 as a Montgomery Ward Department Store, the building is a contributing structure within the Covington Downtown Historic District and a prominent example of early twentieth-century commercial architecture along Madison Avenue.
The Montgomery Ward store operated here until the 1960s. The building then continued its life as an important retail destination for the community, first as the Hanser Brothers Furniture Store and later, beginning in the mid-1970s, as the Sims Furniture Store. This long history of commercial use reflects the building’s central role in Covington’s commercial corridor for nearly a century.
Architecturally, the structure is a striking example of Art Deco commercial design and reflects the standardized yet elegant department store prototypes developed by Montgomery Ward across the United States. Distinctive elements include expansive storefront display windows, prominent arched windows along Madison Avenue and 8th Street, and terracotta façade detailing that references the “Spirit of Progress,” a design motif commonly associated with Montgomery Ward buildings of the era.
Exterior preservation work focused on restoring the building’s prominent presence along Madison Avenue. The terracotta façade was cleaned and repaired, historic mosaic tile at the recessed entrances were restored or recreated, and the signature arched windows along Madison Avenue and 8th Street were carefully restored. The existing historic sign was also refurbished.
Project Contributors:
- Lenders/Financial: State of Kentucky, City of Covington, Kenton County, Be NKY, NKY Port Authority, Catalytic Fund, & Blue North
- Architect: City Studios Architecture
- General Contractor: Urban Sites
- MEP Design: RTM Engineering Consultants
- Structural Engineer: Advantage Structural Engineers
- Graphic Design, Wayfinding, Signage: Durham
- Branding: COV Creates
- Furniture: RCF Group & High St