The Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® has assembled the following resources to help Greystone and other homeowners better plan improvements, preserve the important architectural features of their buildings, make their homes more energy efficient, and learn more about history of this unique form of Chicago housing.
Resources
Contractor Resources:
Homeowners receiving home improvement lending and grant resources through the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® can access a list of licensed, insured contractors for their projects. For more information on fixed-rate loans available through Neighborhood Lending Services, Inc. (NLS)
click here. If a homeowner secure a loan through NLS, a team of
NHS Construction Specialists will help manage the rehab of your home.
For independent contractor resources, the following websites may help Greystone and other homeowners identify contractors to assist in the renovation and maintenance of their historic homes. NHS does not guarantee any services contractor may supply.
Angie’s List is a subscription service that maintains unbiased reports and reviews of more than 250 categories of contractors and other service providers. Reports/reviews are based on the experience of other members with the work provided by each company.
The Illinois Restoration Resources database is maintained by Landmarks Illinois and designed for use by those seeking historic preservation-oriented contractors and suppliers in Illinois. The database includes listings for architects, general contractors, masonry contractors, masonry cleaning, roofing specialists, and windows.
Home energy assessments are a practical, affordable way to identify where and how to improve the energy efficiency of your older or historic home. The Illinois Association of Energy Raters is a trade group of contractors that can conduct home energy assessments and help homeowners identify cost-effective ways to save money on their utility bills.
The City of Chicago Department of Building’s maintains a list of all licensed general, masonry, electrical, and plumbing contractors in the city.
Disclaimer: NHS and Greystone Initiative do not recommend or guarantee the work of any contractors identified in these resources.
Rebates & Incentives:
Greystone and other vintage homowners undertaking may be eligible for the following home improvement rebates and incentives:
Energy Star Consumer Energy Efficiency Tax Credit
The Federal government is offering a tax credit for the installation of specific types of Energy Star-rated heating and cooling systems, water heaters, insulation, roofing materials, and windows and doors. The tax credit is 10% of cost up to $500 or a specific amount from $50 - $300. The current round of Energy Star tax credits expires on 12/31/11.
Peoples Gas Residential Prescriptive Rebate Program
Peoples Gas is offering rebates for the installation of specific types of high-efficiency furnances, boilers, and boiler reset controls to owners of single-family homes and smaller multi-unit apartment buildings. Rebate amounts are up to $100 for boiler reset controls, $400 for furnances, and $600 for boilers. The current rebate program expires on May 31, 2012.
State of Illinois Property Tax Assessment Freeze for Historic Residences
Greystone and other vintage homeowners who undertake the historically sensitive rehab of an owner-occupied, 1-6 unit residence may qualify for a property tax assessment freeze that may reduce their property taxes for up to 12 years. The program works by freezing the assessed value of an eligible home for up to 8 years, followed by a 4 year period during which the property's assessed value steps up to an amount based upon its current market value. To be eligble, the home must be (1) owner-occipied with a maximum of 6 units; (2) be designated a historic building (either indivudally or as part of a historic district) by the City of Chicago or listed on the National Register of Historic Places; (3) be rehabbed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's
Stardards for Rehabilitation; and (4) the rehab must equal or exceed 25% of the fair cash (property) value as determined by the
Cook County Assessor's Office for the year rehard started.
20% Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit
Greystone and other vintage homeowners with rental units in their buildings may also be eligible for a 20% tax credit when they undertake the substantal renovation of their homes. The credit may be substracted directly from the Federal income taxes owed by the owner. The eligibility requirements for the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit are similar to those for the Property Tax Assessment Freeze above, except that the building must produce rental-residential income and the rehab value must exceed the property's "adjusted basis" - roughly the depreciated value of the building not including land value.
General Resources:
City of Chicago Department of Housing and Economic Development
The Department of Housing and Economic Development promotes and preserves a vibrant economy by encouraging job creation, business development, and affordable housing to create and sustain strong, healthy neighborhoods.
The Department of Environment works to make Chicago the “greenest City in America” by providing a range of programmatic and educational resources to help Chicagoans green their homes, yards, businesses, and neighborhoods.
The Assessor’s Office is responsible for setting fair and accurate values for 1.7 million parcels of Cook County property. The Assessor’s Office has also taken the lead in developing both short-term property tax relief proposals, as well as working toward the overall restructuring of the tax system to make it more equitable for all taxpayers.
Historic Preservation & General Design Resources:
The Commission on Chicago Landmarks is responsible for recommending that individual buildings, sites, objects, or districts be designated as Chicago Landmarks. The Commission is also responsible for any proposed alteration, demolition, or new construction affecting individual landmarks or properties in landmark districts as part of the permit review process.
The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency administers all state and federal historic preservation programs in Illinois, including the National Register of Historic Places and the Property Tax Assessment Freeze Program for Historic Residences.
Landmarks Illinois is the state’s leading voice for historic preservation. The organization has established variety of programs to facilitate, educate and promote historic preservation in Illinois, including a contractor database listing a wide range of historic preservation-oriented building professionals.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save America’s diverse historic places and revitalize our communities.
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards provide guiding concepts for protecting historic buildings, sites, structures, and districts. They address such issues as maintaining, repairing, or replacing historic materials, as well as designing new additions or making alternations. In Illinois, properties designated as national or local historic landmarks may be eligible for certain tax benefits if they comply with the Standards during their rehab.
Produced by the National Park Service’s Technical Preservation Services, Preservation Briefs provide guidance on preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic buildings.
The American Institute of Architects is a nationwide association professional architects.
The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public interest and education in architecture and design. CAF presents a comprehensive program of tours, exhibitions, lectures, special events, and education activities, all designed to enhance the publics awareness and appreciation of Chicago’s outstanding architectural legacy.
The Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative offers Chicago Bungalow owners financial and technical resources to help them preserve, rehab, and “green” their historic homes
Green Building Resources:
The Chicago Center for Green Technology offers workshops, seminars, and other educational programs for residents and building professionals aimed at expanding the use of green building practices, materials, and technology in Chicago.
Remodeling or restoring a home is one of the greenest things a homeowner or buyer can do. The City of Chicago has produced six guides that address common homeowner questions and concerns about greening common home improvements projects. Guide topics include: building envelope; baths and laundry; kitchens; painting: salvage and reuse of materials; and hiring the pros.
Developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this web resource offers useful guidance for improving the energy efficiency of older and historic buildings without eopardizing their unique character and architectural details.
Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping families save money and protect the environment through the use of energy efficient products and building practices. The Energy Star website includes listings of household products and building products (i.e., windows and furnaces) that meet minimum energy efficiency guidelines. Homeowners purchasing particular Energy Star-labled products may be eligible for a tax rebate.
The mission of the ReBuilding Exchange to divert building materials from the waste stream and make them accessible to the public for reuse at a low cost. Salvaged through sustainable deconstruction practices, the wide range of materials available at the ReBuilding Exchange can be incorporated directly into rehab projects or repurposed for other uses.
Publications
Greystone Guidebooks
An introductory booklet aimed at helping Greystone owners better plan improvements and repairs, while also preserving the important historic details that make theirs homes’ unique. For ease of use, all recommendations in the booklet are into practical “Do” and “Don’ts” and illustrated with example photos. Core topic areas include: masonry, windows, porches, roofs/cornices, additions, interiors, mechanical systems, and fencing/lighting. Published in Fall 2009, the Greystone Design Guidelines Booklet was developed in partnership with the Midwest Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
An introductory book offering guidance for homeowners on the rehab and care of a Greystone at four project levels: Maintainer, Fix-Er-Upper, Rehabber, and Total Gut. Within each project level, the book addresses key considerations for rehab, health and safety, sustainability, and landscaping. It also includes advice on planning improvements (i.e., reconfiguring the layout of the home) and working with contractors. Published in Spring 2008 by the City Design Center and distributed by the University of Chicago Press, the book is currently available for purchase at
Amazon.com.
An homage to Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood and its many Greystones, this book profiles the community’s rich social, cultural, and architectural history, as well as the founding of the Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative®. It also includes discussions of how historic preservation can strengthen neighborhoods and how homeowners can research the history of their Greystones. Published in Fall 2006 by the City Design Center and distributed by the University of Chicago Press, the book is currently available for purchase at
Amazon.com.
The Chicago Greystone in Historic North Lawndale