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After three months of around-the-clock labor, Steven
Kren has saved the historic Decker Home, at 303 S. Glenwood Ave., from the
city’s wrecking crew. In July, the city granted Kren his third and final
extension to his permit to make structural changes to the 112-year home, including the
addition of support to the second floor, the wraparound front porch, and a
brick retaining wall on the concrete stairs leading to the basement [see
Amanda Robert, “Beat the Clock,” July 5]. Last week, Kren was
finally given the green light to continue work from city inspectors, who confirmed that he has
met their demands.
“Mr. Kren has abided by the agreement and
addressed the structural concerns,” says Jim Donelan, executive
assistant to Mayor Tim Davlin. “If you drive by it, it’s not
the prettiest thing in the world, but he’s come a long way.”
Kren says that the pressure hasn’t abated
entirely — he still needs to renew his work permit every 60 days and
comply with a list of city-suggested changes — but for now he’s
excited to get back to restoring the home’s Italianate-revival
architecture to its former grandeur.
“I finally beat them on the preservation of it,
so it won’t be torn down,” Kren says. “Now hopefully I
can turn it into a museum so everyone can enjoy it.”
In the coming months, Kren will tackle the
faНade of the Decker Home by restoring the soffit, the front
porch’s woodwork, and the home’s original wood siding. He
expects the home’s restoration to be finished within the next three
years.
Contact Amanda Robert at arobert@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Oct 11-17, 2007.
