Another Lincoln Square bungalow doomed!

2237 W Winona Chicago IL 60625 was purchased as a foreclosure for $390,000 in December 2014.

The infamous green windscreen fencing went up around 2237 W Winona in the Ravenswood area of Lincoln Square last Friday. This is a bad sign for preservation.  The property  is among a distinct three block section of solid brick 22 ft wide bungalows.  Construction was halted after the new owners tore down the garage and gutted the interior. The only construction permit on record for the property was issued in January 2015 for $4,000 (drain tile).

The bungalow belt just west of the park has finally been touched by "tear down" redevelopment.

 The Winnemac Park area of Lincoln Square has seen a relatively mild pace of new construction and "almost totally new" gut rehabs over the last decade compared to neighbors North Center and Lake View (North Center new construction is still bonkers right now).  The neighborhood bound by Lawrence to Foster and North Ravenswood Avenue to North Western Ave has seen it's share of tear downs of course. But most structures over the years have been rehabbed to resemble it's original look.

That ship has sailed. The pace of tear downs, especially among the sacred bungalows, has quickened over the last two years.  Here's another example.  Although I totally appreciate tearing down properties that have outlived their usefulness I feel these bungalows could have easily been preserved while improved.  Many have been "dormered" and greatly expanded while keeping their original look and feel.  The wide, well built bungalows make for a unique and distinct pocket in Lincoln Square. The street-scape is changing with each newly designed home... some good, some bad.