Remodeling of Historic Three Flat

Our clients purchased a handsome grey stone three flat in Lincoln Park with the intention of turning it into a single family residence. This building is in the Mid-North Historic District, a Chicago designated landmark district, and our clients were interested in remodeling in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s “Standards for Rehabilitation,” and so they might obtain an eight year freeze on their property tax assessment. The assessment then ramps up to market level over an additional four years.

In order to freeze the property tax assessment, the building must receive a Certificate of Rehabilitation. This Certificate is issued by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency who administrates the program in Illinois for the Department of the Interior. The application for this Certificate has three parts.

Part 1 is relatively brief and establishes that the building is indeed within an historic district and eligible for the Certificate. After Part 1 was approved, an official from IHPA visited the project to discuss the particular items or features that his agency would require to be incorporated into the remodeling. This part of the application requires plans of the proposed remodeling, photographs of significant details and a discussion of how they are to be handled.

The historically sensitive details of the renovation were to be as follows:

A number of original features remained in this building. The central stair, most of the wood base and casings, doors and hardware, and one fireplace were largely intact.   However, the building was entirely un-insulated and needed alterations in order to become a single family residence.

The main staircase was kept although the first treads on the first floor were re-orientated in order to enter the stair from the side and permit an entry vestibule. New newel posts and balusters were made to match those above. There are two large bays on the side of the building that reflect the original interior organization of the building. These continued to be the organizing principal for those floors. The basic shape of the front two parlors was maintained on the first floor, and the front three parlors were maintained on the 2nd and 3rd floors as they became bedrooms or other spaces. The smaller rooms on the narrow side of the bearing wall would become corridors and secondary spaces.

Throughout the house, the plaster was to be removed, walls furred for insulation, and new drywall installed. The existing wood trim was oak (unpainted) in the front rooms and fir (generally painted) in the lesser rooms. The existing oak trim was to be carefully removed to be re-installed in the front rooms. The other rooms were to receive new trim, similar but not identical.

Much of the existing wood flooring would be kept. Existing doors and hardware were to be reused. There are two original hutches in the building although they were relocated some time ago. We re-located them again. The only remaining fireplace (3rd floor) became part of a home office.  

Every effort was made to keep the character of the house.   Exterior features were maintained and/or restored, including the remaining stained and leaded glass windows.

As Part 2 of the application was being reviewed, we were able to begin the permit process.   At the end of the project, Part 3 was submitted; this part of the application documents what was actually done and provides evidence that the project met the required economic threshold (25% of the assessed value of the building).

Because the assessed valuation was frozen before the quadrennial re-assessment of the area, our clients were able to reduce their taxes by a substantial amount, an added benefit to their beautiful new home.