Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- The latest Park Forest home remodeled under the South Suburban Trades Initiative (SSTI) is ready for sale. The house at 76 Winslow Street remained vacant for many years. It became an eyesore for the neighborhood. This made it an ideal candidate for the SSTI program.
SSTI is a cooperative program with South Suburban College (SSC) Building Trades Construction Technology Program students and the Prairie State HVAC training curriculum. Students fine-tune their skills as they work on the house as part of their coursework.
The remodeling also includes significant involvement from local trade unions. These groups use the project as an opportunity to train their members. Chicago Roofers Joint Apprentice Local 11, Painter’s District Council No. 14, and Sprinkler Fitters Local 281 provided their time at no charge. The village supplied the needed materials.
Fifth Home Rehabbed by SSTI
The Winslow house is the fifth Park Forest home to be rehabbed under the SSTI program. Previous projects were at 305 Sauganash, 336 Early, 117 Wilson, and 74 Marquette Street. Profits from the sale of the house (net of village expenses) will be used for expenses incurred in future SSTI projects.
Andrew Brown, Planner for the Village of Park Forest, said that funding for improvements on the Winslow house and the house on Marquette Street was partially secured through a Strong Communities Grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority. Brown mentioned that the material costs have increased dramatically over the past few years. This required the village to be more cautious in making expenditures.
Included in the rehab effort were a new roof, major plumbing renovations, new drywall throughout the house, a remodeled kitchen, new heating and air conditioning, and a fire sprinkler system. The three-bedroom, two-full-bath house has new floors, windows, carpeting, and appliances, including a washer and dryer. The house features a large family room that overlooks the backyard. The exterior of the house has all-new vinyl siding.
History Reborn
The Wilson Realty Group of Park Forest is managing the marketing and sale of the house. Managing Broker/Owner Don Wilson says, “The house is the closest you are going to get to brand-new construction.” Based on recent sales in the area, he anticipates a listing price of $197,000. According to Zillow, the last reported sale price for the home was $85,000 in 1997, well before the housing crash.
“After the housing crash of 2006-2008, Park Forest was one of those areas that took longer for the housing market to realize its true value,” said Wilson. “Park Forest is now where it should be from a value perspective.”
Wilson expects the demand for the Winslow house to be strong. “The Park Forest housing inventory is selling pretty quickly.”
According to David Tracy, the village’s Project Manager for the program, the next SSTI project is located at 244 Gentry on the north side of Park Forest. The village has already done some preliminary work on the house, including sewer and roof repairs, and added a sump pump. The program typically ramps up in late August when the college programs start, and completion is targeted for May at the end of the spring term.
