Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Beloved 1890s Damen Avenue Victorian Could Be Sold For Its 'Land Value'

By Alisa Hauser | January 25, 2016 9:52am
 A home for sale at 1124 N. Damen Ave.
1124 N. Damen Ave.
View Full Caption

UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — A real estate listing for an 1890s-era home that says "the value is in the land" has alarmed fans, including a woman who says she loves the picturesque Victorian so much, she whispers "I'll give you my first born" when she passes it.

The 2,190-square-foot Ukrainian Village home is on the southwest corner of Damen and Haddon avenues, which is within the Ukrainian Village Landmark District.

At 1124 N. Damen Ave., it anchors a corner lot that totals 5,574 square feet. It has a side yard and coach house, which has an address of 2009 N. Haddon Ave. The asking price for the two homes and yard is $999,900.

Realtor Chris Secaur, who is selling the home for its longtime owners, said on Monday he has received many calls since putting the property on the market on Saturday. He "doubts it will last until Friday."

Secaur said many folks incorrectly assumed that "the value is in the land" sentence in his listing implies a demolition, as does the "great location for new construction" phrase.

"Nowhere did I say tear this house down. But it's creating lots of buzz," Secaur said.

Secaur said the ideal buyer would be someone who will rehab the house and maybe do a teardown of the coach house on Haddon.

"The only thing you will be able to do is rehab the main property on Damen. The home's foundation, roof and bones are fine but the entire inside will need to be redone," Secaur said.

Secaur said he thinks "the side lot could be buildable." Side yards and whether to build on them, though, can be a controversial matter. Last year, preservationists in Wicker Park won a battle with the city over a side yard at 2117 W. Le Moyne St., which was determined after several hearings to be a protected landscape.

Secaur, who has not yet seen the inside of the coach house, said there are tenants living there who currently pay just $300 monthly, from what he understands in talking with his client, the son of the home's owners, who have lived there for almost 40 years.

The home is part of the Ukrainian Village Landmark District, which is bordered by Haddon, Damen, Rice and Western avenues.

Michael VanDam, a member of the East Village Association and a local real estate agent, was among the several residents alarmed by the listing.

"The Ukrainian Village Landmark District was put in place to protect buildings like this. I'm not sure how someone could look at that house and say that the "value is in the land," VanDam said.

Another real estate agent and local homeowner, Sarah Frier, said her first thought from looking at the listing was "There is no way this is not protected."

"As a longtime resident of the Ukrainian Village I was appalled. For the last 20 years I've whispered 'I'll give you my first born' at that place," said Frier.

Frier said she lives in a brick house built in 1880 and not a week goes by that she does not get a letter offering to buy her house for cash as a teardown.

"So obviously, I feel very protective. I mean my house is just a nice old pile of bricks! This house is one of the most beloved and iconic homes the entire historical neighborhood," Frier said.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: