Historic Chicago Bungalow Expo '02 Pays Tribute To Classic Chicago Homes
CHICAGO – Twenty workshops and more than 50 home-improvement vendors were featured recently at the first-ever Historic Chicago Bungalow Expo for owners, buyers and admirers of bungalows – the quintessential Chicago home.
About 3,000 bungalow lovers who attended the Expo on May 18 took part in seminars on topics that included restoring stained glass windows, obtaining building permits and applying for affordable financing to purchase or rehab a bungalow home.
The Expo, at Harold Washington College, 30 E. Lake St., was part of an ongoing initiative by the City of Chicago and Historic Chicago Bungalow Association to help preserve bungalows, a defining architectural presence in many Chicago neighborhoods. There are about 80,000 bungalows in Chicago, representing one-third of the city’s single-family homes.
"Preserving Chicago's bungalow heritage means more than simply paying respect to our city’s rich architectural heritage,"said HCBA Executive Director Charles Shanabruch. "It represents a real investment in the long-term economic health and quality of life of neighborhoods throughout Chicago."
Since the bungalow initiative was announced two years ago, more than 2,100 people have certified their homes with the HCBA, making them eligible for financial assistance and special vendor discounts on products and services for bungalow owners. Bungalow owners who had not certified their homes had an opportunity to do so at the Expo.
Among the highlights of the Expo were workshops led by the hosts of two
home-repair shows on public television: About Your House with Bob Yapp
and Handy Ma’am with Beverly DeJulio. Yapp led a workshop on cost-effective
window restoration while DeJulio led one on various home-repair projects.
Subjects of other workshops included:
- The First Time Homebuyer
- How to Get a Building Permit
- The Structure and Care of Stained Glass Windows
- Planning Your Home Renovation with an Architect
- Everything You Should Know Before Buying, Selling or Rehabbing a Chicago Bungalow
- How a Realtor Can Assist You in Buying and Selling a Chicago Bungalow
- Replacement Window Options
- How to Work with an Architect
- Department of Housing Information
- Stained Glass Repair and Restoration
- Heating and Cooling the Chicago Bungalow
- How to Conserve Energy in a Bungalow
- Mortar Restoration for Your Bungalow
- Home Depot Home Remodeling
- Prospective Bungalow Buyers
- Windows and Doors for Your Bungalow
Also on hand were loan counselors from financial institutions and representatives of the Cook County Assessor's Office and the City of Chicago Departments of Housing, Buildings, Environment, and Planning and Development's Landmarks Division to answer questions about the purchase, renovation or refinancing of bungalows.
More than 50 vendors also were represented, many of whom offer special discounts to bungalow owners. Among the vendors were Abt Electronics, Lee Lumber & Building Material Corp., Unique Indoor Comfort, Home Depot, Sears, ASC Window Corp. and Republic Windows & Doors.