Demolition of blighted house a relief to neighbors in Mundelein

The crack and crunch of a house being demolished Friday in Mundelein were welcome sounds to neighbors and those who have been working doggedly to resolve a tricky problem.

Heavy equipment quickly made a debris pile of the tiny house at 516 N. Prairie Ave., and the lot was cleared to make way for a new foundation to be installed as part of a creative arrangement between the village and the Affordable Housing Corp. of Lake County.

In a few weeks, another house will be moved to the spot from a few blocks away. The result will be a "new" affordable house on North Prairie Avenue and an open lot on Wellington Avenue for a village stormwater project.

"It's a great solution," said Rob Anthony, executive director of the housing agency. "It's taken a lot of work to coordinate, but it will be worth it."

Vacant and in disrepair, the North Prairie Avenue house has been a blight on the neighborhood.

"For years, people in the neighborhood were trying to get something done about it," said Toni Antonetti, who has lived next door for 20 years. "The whole neighborhood is very happy."

With outstanding taxes, liens and other issues, private investors weren't interested, and even the nonprofit Affordable Housing Corp. initially couldn't reconcile the expense.

"It was one of those situations that had no future for correction," according to Pete Schubkegel, the village's building director. "Even tax buyers were reluctant to do it - they couldn't flip it."

Schubkegel has had the house on his radar for years. Liens have been filed and the matter taken to court. He has worked with Anthony on other properties in town as part of a neighborhood stabilization program.

The goal is to acquire 50 vacant houses to improve neighborhoods in Mundelein and Round Lake Beach. Houses are rehabbed or torn down and replaced with a new one for low- and moderate-income buyers.

But in some cases the numbers don't work for the agency, which strives to break even on its projects.

"It would have been cost-prohibitive to tear down the house and build new without losing a lot of money," according to Anthony.

Through a fortunate confluence of events and Schubkegel's persistence, a solution was struck. This summer, the village donated to the housing corporation a house it had acquired and was going to tear down at 101 Wellington Ave. It also waived the liens on the Prairie Avenue property.

In turn, the housing corporation bought that property and paid the outstanding taxes for an investment Anthony estimated at about $25,000.

The Wellington Avenue house will be moved to that location, rehabbed and offered for sale to a low- to moderate-income buyer - generally an annual income of $60,000 to $90,000 for a family of four, according to Anthony.

"It works, is what it comes down to," Schubkegel said. "They're the right company to get this kind of thing done."