Developer Tytus Henry remodeled the four-bed, four-bath Victorian home “from the ground up,” with help from local youth who hope to work in the trades.
Local officials and leaders at the Cook County Land Bank Authority joined Henry Thursday to celebrate the completion of the single-family home at 8514 S. Peoria Ave.
The four-bedroom, four-bath Victorian home is the 2,000th Cook County Land Bank Authority property to be redeveloped in the organization’s 10-year history.
The Cook County Land Bank Authority bought the vacant property in 2019. The 4,500-square-foot home was built in 1890.
Henry, owner of Lion Heart Construction, bought the home from the land bank in 2021 for $40,000, he said. He began working on the property at the end of 2022 after completing projects for other investors.
What followed over the next two years was “blood, sweat, tears and a lot of sleepless nights,” Henry said.
“Tytus worked to turn this abandoned, dilapidated home into a beautiful place that we stand in today,” said Jessica Caffrey, executive director of the Cook County Land Bank Authority. “In the process, he created jobs, helped launch careers, created tax revenue and put a jewel right here on this block in Auburn Gresham.”
The house needed to be “built from the ground up,” Henry said. That meant adding new studs, electrical wiring, plumbing, HVAC units and flooring to the four-story home. Henry invested about $225,000 in the property, he said.
Henry grew up with eight brothers and a father who was a carpenter, he said. His father taught him how to work in the trades to complete construction projects, and knowing those skills “cut down a big cost.”
Along the way, Henry had assistance from local youth in the YouthBuild and Bridge to Construction programs offered through Metropolitan Family Services.
YouthBuild, an alternative education opportunity for people ages 18-24, and Bridge to Construction, a pre-apprenticeship program, help young people learn occupational skills so they can find well-paying jobs.
Thursday’s 2000th home celebration coincided with the release of the Cook County Land Bank Authority’s 10-year Economic Impact Analysis.
In the past decade, the Cook County Land Bank Authority has created over 1,400 jobs, generated more than $58.1 million in community wealth and added over $1.8 billion in economic impact throughout Cook County, according to the study.
The homebuyer who bought the Peoria Avenue property will receive $20,000 in purchase assistance from the Cook County Land Bank Authority, Caffrey said.
Thursday’s 2000th home celebration coincided with the release of the Cook County Land Bank Authority’s 10-year Economic Impact Analysis.
In the past decade, the Cook County Land Bank Authority has created over 1,400 jobs, generated more than $58.1 million in community wealth and added over $1.8 billion in economic impact throughout Cook County, according to the study.
The homebuyer who bought the Peoria Avenue property will receive $20,000 in purchase assistance from the Cook County Land Bank Authority, Caffrey said.
