Lakewood Balmoral Homes Getting Older and Face the Wrecking Ball

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

There is no doubt that the Lakewood Balmoral area is a gem of Edgewater. The beautiful single family homes in the area have become very popular in the last couple decades as the area has seen major progress in gentrification. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 12, 1999. The area is about 63 acres; its boundaries are Magnolia Avenue to the east, Wayne Avenue to the west, Foster Avenue to the south, and Bryn Mawr Avenue to the north. First developed in 1890 by John Lewis Cochran, the area’s homes were built with modest flair and have given unique charm to the neighborhood.

These homes however, are now as old as 120 years, and significant issues are developing in their structures. Many of the homes have been well preserved because of diligent work of generations of owners, but others are facing the possibility of the wrecking ball. Thus the home at 5340 N. Magnolia Ave. which was bought by a local family at the end of December 2013. According to DNA, the structure was assessed to need a new foundation and to have significant termite damage. The new owners plan to raze the home and build another that will be consistent to the style of the surrounding area.

Many are upset about the demolition, feeling that somehow the structure could be saved. The plans will most likely be met with some hostility as community leaders have come out against the tear down. However, others realize that the home is too far gone. Decades of neglect and non-action has forced any hopes of salvage minimal.

Sadly, as we see these homes age, some will obviously not survive due mostly to negligence. We will see future debate as more come up for sale and their skeletons are exposed.

Tags: Andersonville, Balmoral, Chicago, demolition, Edgewater, homes, lakewood

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urbaneddie

raise = to lift up. raze = to demolish
Turbo60640

As is typical with Edgewater, the powers that be will demand anything old be “saved” regardless of its irreparable condition or lack of historical significance. Never mind that it may be vacant, an eyesore, stalling positive development or worse….it must be SAVED.
- mimi harris
  
  Positive development as in the many eyesores built in Edgewater during the housing boom?
  - Turbo60640
    
    What eyesores?
dorothyparker007

Of people would like these older homes saved they should connect with the seniors years before they sell not when they’re under contract. They should bring them a buyer..help them snd not wait to the last second. Many who sell are ill or a spouse had died. Many know they are going to sell years before it goes on the market. Instead of passive acts of negative press..connect and bring restoration buyer s.
- CMAP
  
  Or, along those lines, those that are so concerned about restoration and so quick to share opinions about how things can be saved and what should be done could get behind their words and help those neighbors with the cost of repairs and maintenance. When new buyers are faced with the cost of repairing problems resulting from years of neglect, tearing down and building new is the more economical solution.
  - mimi harris
    
    Wonder why new owners would buy homes with such significant damage. Please enlighten me.
andersonville dog mama

I understand that in this case the home may not be savable. My concern is the precedent that is being set. We all know that Chicago isn’t the most,how should I put it,incoruptable,of places. My concern is that this may give a less than honest developer an “in”. I know there are standards in a historic district that would prevent this,but,as alifelong resident of this city,I don’t trust “standards”.
thom

Just to let you know – I have read the inspection summary report and went thru the house. The report says nothing about “beyond repair” or anything thats out of the ordinary with any old home in our neigborhood. Thanks
- CMAP
  
  Would an inspection report typically say “beyond repair”? In my experience inspection reports do not provide such opinions unless a structure is so unsound it is deemed unsafe. Pretty much anything can be restored or repaired with enough money. It is really a question of economics. Not everyone wants to take on the expense of very costly repairs when it could be more economical to build new, using modern technologies and building materials but still maintaining a look that blends in with the surrounding older homes. Lakewood Balmoral is pretty much a mish/mash of styles anyway.
zagotta

Hi All- Thanks for the great discussion because this is such an important topic and passionate one. So thank you also for keeping it civil. All the best.
Invictus

The problem with the article (and consequentially the posts that follow) is that it takes at face value the assertion of the original contract buyers that the house is “too far gone” and that “decades of neglect and non-action has forced any hopes of salvage minimal.”

It is a false assumption. The inspection report highlighted two major problems: eflorescence on some basement walls and some termite damage in one section of the house. There was no suggestion that the house needed a new foundation. Both of these problems are not uncommon in homes in Lakewood Balmoral. The architect Thom Greene who has done many restorations and additions in the neighborhood and who lives in the neighborhood found termite damage in his own house when he first bought. He had the damage repaired; he did not tear down the house. Both of the problems can be easily corrected.

The issue is not that there is a problem with the existing house that can’t be economically remedied; it is rather that the new owners want a new house in an old neighborhood. What is not at issue is their legal right under existing law; they can legally replace the home they bought with a new one. The issue is: Should they?
- Edgewater neighbor
  
  I wonder if the new owners were anticipating a welcoming relationship with their new neighbors? This certainly is not a smart or rspectful way to join a neighborhood…

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Lakewood Balmoral Homes Getting Older and Face the Wrecking Ball