A "how-to" for helping homeowners adapt and preserve one of
Chicago's very own is the special feature of Chicago Great Spaces & Places
festival.
CHICAGO (March 21, 2002) - Since the launch of the Historic
Chicago Bungalow Initiative by Mayor Richard M. Daley a little
more than a year ago, thousands of homeowners have inquired about
how to take advantage of opportunities to buy or restore Chicago's
single-family bungalows on very affordable terms. Now, approximately
80 years after they were originally constructed, bungalow owners
and homebuyers will have the opportunity to learn everything
they need to know about where to go and how to do it at the first
annual Historic Chicago Bungalow Expo.
On Saturday, May 18, from 9 am to 5 pm at the Harold Washington College, 30 E. Lake St., at the corner of Lake and Wabash, bungalow owners and homebuyers will find all the resources they need to help undertake the purchase and rehab of these distinctive homes. The Expo will feature exhibits and workshops by home industry product manufacturers, city departments and services, mortgage and rehab lenders, craftspeople, realtors as well as architects and contractors who are partnering with the Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative to offer incentives and discounts to homebuyers and owners of certified Historic Chicago Bungalows. Among the featured presenters is Bob Yapp, an expert in historic preservation, host of the national television series and author of About Your House.
To help homeowners and buyers understand how to obtain special financing
for purchase and rehab of bungalows there will be participation from public
and private financing agencies, including the City and State agencies,
community development corporations and all the banks that are partnering
with the Historic Bungalow Initiative.
For homeowners interested in securing grants, loans and vouchers available
for products to make bungalows more energy efficient, including thermal paned
windows, low-polluting paint, recycled finishing materials and state-of-the-art
heating/cooling systems and appliances, there will be representatives from
the City's Department of Environment, Sears, Abt Appliances, Home Depot, Unique
Indoor Comfort and more.
These and other home product vendors who are partnering with the Historic Chicago Initiative to provide certified Historic Chicago Bungalow owners and homebuyers with discounts and product information on replacement doors and windows include: Lee Lumber; Continental Window and Glass; Republic Windows & Doors; Inc.; Pella Windows and Total Home Maintenance. The stained glass exhibits featuring Signature Stained Glass, Midwest Stained Glass and Stained Glass Ltd., will also provide Expo visitors with an opportunity to gather information about how to improve and adapt the Historic Chicago Bungalow.
In addition to the exhibits, there will be a series of workshops by skilled craftspeople during the Expo where visitors can learn more about particular topics to better understand the design and construction process while maintaining the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association's design guidelines. Among the workshops are: How to Work with Architects and Contractors; Adapting Your Bungalow to Changing Needs; Financing for the Historic Chicago Bungalow; The History of the Chicago Bungalow; Certifying Your Historic Chicago Bungalow; Restoring Stained-Glass and Refinishing Hard-Wood Floors; Landscaping the Bungalow; and Cost Effective Window Restoration being conducted by Bob Yapp.
In conjunction with the Expo, as a special feature of the City of Chicago's Great Chicago Spaces and Places, the nation's preeminent architecture festival, guided tours of Historic Chicago Bungalows are featured on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. On Saturday, visitors will have the opportunity to tour a model block of four newly renovated bungalows, equipped with state-of-the-art energy efficient products and materials that have been specially designed for particular lifestyles and family needs. Sunday's tours offer a visit to the Bungalow Belt, Chicago's neighborhoods where these homes exemplify the city's contribution to our nation's residential architecture. The tours depart from the Chicago Architecture Foundation at 224. S. Michigan Avenue on each day. For more information about the tours, contact the CAF at 312. 922.3432.
"Since its inception the Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative has been helping to ensure Chicagoans and neighborhoods across the city have the resources to acquire and adapt the Historic Chicago Bungalows to their needs while maintaining their architectural integrity," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "Nearly a century after they were first built, the bungalow remains an attractive, affordable single-family housing style of choice for Chicagoans.