Jeff Laxton (at left), construction officer with the City of Rock Island’s Planning and Redevelopment Division, talks about some of the features at the renovated house at 1830 32nd Ave., Rock Island, on Thursday, Aug. 31. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Ametra Carrol looked at the Rock Island house and loved it. “It’s beautiful. All of it just looks so nice,” said Ms. Carrol, a Rock Island resident for 36 years, after touring the yellow one-story house at 1830 32nd Ave. on Thursday morning, Aug. 31. Ms. Carrol was so impressed with the house that she […]
Ametra Carrol looked at the Rock Island house and loved it.“It’s beautiful. All of it just looks so nice,” said Ms. Carrol, a Rock Island resident for 36 years, after touring the yellow one-story house at 1830 32nd Ave. on Thursday morning, Aug. 31.
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Miles Brainard, (left) Rock Island’s community and economic development director, shows the kitchen of a renovated Rock Island home at 1830 32nd Ave., which now is available through the city’s Homestead Program. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The house at 1830 32nd Ave., Rock Island, was renovated by the City of Rock Island and is now for sale under the city’s Homestead Program. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Jeff Laxton, (right), construction officer with the City of Rock Island’s Planning and Redevelopment Division, shows some of the features to the house at 1830 32nd Ave., Rock Island. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
This is the backyard of the Rock Island home.
Ms. Carrol was so impressed with the house that she was ready to buy it. Minutes after touring the renovated and updated 100-year-old house, she had paperwork in hand in hopes of owning the property.“I really like what they did to this house,” she added.Other Rock Island residents had similar words of praise for the renovated home after they toured the property Thursday. The home – listed for $130,000 – was the center of attention during a public open house for the property, which now is part of the City of Rock Island’s Homestead Program.Using funds from the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) and Illinois Housing Development Authority (IDHA), the City’s Community and Economic Development Department (CED) spent several months renovating the property.“The proposed Homestead Program is intended to strategically rehabilitate vacant houses creating not only an affordable home but also inspiring neighborhood revitalization,” Miles Brainard, the city’s CED director, said in a recent news release. “Staff are proud to present this successful pilot project as an example of what this program will be able to accomplish.”Mr. Brainard was one of the city officials at the 32nd Avenue house showing off the updated home to would-be buyers.He told the QCBJ that the house has sat vacant for several years after the elderly couple who owned it passed away and the home eventually went to a tax auction. The city bought the home for $909 and spent $148,000 to gut and renovate the interior, install a new roof, new siding, lead-free pipes, high efficiency air system, water heater and landscaping.Now, the home is ready for a new family and ready to inspire the neighborhood.“We’re trying to inspire people; we’re saying ‘This is a great neighborhood’ and ‘Hey, you can do little things over time’ (to improve the neighborhood),” he added.With a price tag of $130,000, Mr. Brainard said “We’re expecting this to go pretty fast.” Some of the details of the updated house include:
Built in 1923 and updated this year with renovation work beginning in April. That work took place in almost every corner of the home. “Basically, somebody is going to come in here and get a new house,” said Jeff Laxton, construction officer with the City of Rock Island’s Planning and Redevelopment Division. He also helped show the home on Thursday.
Two bedrooms, one full bathroom.
Vinyl siding, lead-free pipes and asphalt shingles.
High efficiency, forced air, central air and water heater.
The home does not have a garage after the original one was demolished. There is room in the backyard to build a new garage.
The kitchen does have a microwave. However, the new owner will have to provide the other appliances. “People tend to have strong opinions about appliances. So, we’ll leave it to them to buy,” Mr. Brainard said.
The home has an unfinished basement.
This is the second whole-house rehabilitation project completed by the Community Development Division. The first pilot project was at 1435 15th Ave., which was sold about a year ago, allowing a new family to move in and bring new life to the neighborhood. Mr. Brainard told the QCBJ that at this time there are no plans for the city to buy and renovate a third home for the Homestead Program.The home at 1830 32nd St. will be listed with a real estate agent and sold to an income-qualified owner-occupant. Those income requirements include: a one-person household annual income no greater than $49,500; and a two-person household income no greater than $56,600. (Other income requirements can be found here.)People interested in touring the property may contact the Community and Economic Development Department's Community Development Manager Nichole Mata by email at mata.nichole@rigov.org or (309) 732-2907. Homestead Program applications need to be returned to: Community and Economic Development, City of Rock Island, 1528 Third Ave., Rock Island, IL 61202.
