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Steven Kren’s passion for the past goes well
beyond his stint as a tour guide with the Illinois Historic Preservation
Agency and his possession of such antiques as his circa-1850s wood-burning
stove. Last week it carried Kren as far as City Hall, where
he pleaded with local officials to give him more time to make structural
changes to the Decker Home, 303 S. Glenwood Ave. It was the third extension
Kren had requested for the renovation of the home, built in 1865 and listed
on the city’s roster of historic buildings. After Kren purchased the property three years ago, he
replaced the home’s roof and rebuilt its north and west foundation
walls, but after two deadlines came and went, he says, the city decided
that enough time had been spent on the project. His electricity and water
were shut off, and the home was slated for demolition.
“I was devastated when they were going to
bulldoze the place,” Kren says. Nearby residents of the home’s west-side
neighborhood rallied to support Kren, signing a petition and organizing a
protest to stop the demolition. Neighbor Jason Mrakava joined in because he
didn’t want to see the historic residence turned into another empty
lot. “I don’t think the city should be
knocking down houses that the owner is currently rehabbing,” Mrakava
says, “especially historic houses. I think they should focus their
energy on houses where the owners aren’t doing anything.”
But Jim Donelan, executive assistant to Mayor Tim
Davlin, says that the issue isn’t the demolition of historic homes
but ensuring that the building is safe for neighbors and residents. “Our goal is to get a structure that is not
safe safe again,” says Donelan. To comply with that goal, Kren enlisted the help of
Norman K. Brown of Brown Engineers Inc., who assessed the home’s
structural condition and outlined several structural problems that need to
be addressed. In a July 21 letter addressed to Kren, Brown states,
“In my judgment, with the extensive foundation replacement which has
been done, the structure is not in imminent danger of collapse. The repairs
cited above, however, should be done in a timely manner.”
Kren has agreed to complete the necessary changes
— including the addition of support to the wraparound porch, to the
second-floor system and to a brick retaining wall on the concrete stairs
leading to the basement — within 90 days.
His electricity and water will also be restored once
the agreement with the city is drafted, says Donelan, with any luck by the
end of this week.
Kren’s interest in the Decker Home was sparked
when he was just a kid mowing the lawn in front of his father’s
neighboring home. The residence had then been split into four apartments,
and Kren says that the wrong people were always coming and going. Kren, a sheet-metal worker, put his job on hold to
restore the home to its original splendor for the good of the area. “I’ve lived here all of my life,”
he says. “This is my hometown. I’m not just some guy from the
outside who’s buying this and buying that. “I bought it because I was trying to better the
neighborhood.”
Kren hopes that the Decker Home can eventually become
a local museum. He is working with the Illinois State Preservation Agency
to secure the home’s eligibility for the National Register of
Historic Places.
Contact Amanda Robert at arobert@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2007.
