.mt8 .mb6 .hm7 .h1Page # June Grayson Jun Grayson 10 Wes Mai Street PO 167 St Charles Illinoi 60174 1(312)-377-7073 Firs N Seria Rights 1,759 words For SUCCESSFU AMERICA ENTREPRENEUR SMAL BUSINES SOURCE,o any othe periodica extollin busines success ARTICLE BIL LAVICK RESTORATIONS Whe Bil Lavick want somethin don well h doe i himself structura engineer preservationist an Nav office o activ dut durin th Vietna war Lavick own Histori Boulevar Services H rehabilitate older incom- producin propertie i th Tr-Taylo Histori Distric o Chicago' Nea Wes Side Throug hi wor h restore th homes th churches an th heart o th peopl o Chicago Lavick an hi wife Alys forme thei constructio compan a sidelin busines i 197 wit n mone an n financia backing No th compan grosse ove on millio yearl wit te permanen employees. "Wha w se toda i complet resurgenc o th centra citie fro th insid out, explain Lavicka "Peopl wh appreciat th commerc an cultur o cit don' wan t commut tw t thre hour day Yo ca bu som o thes ol building fo th sam pric a chea carpe on o tw dollar squar foot Afte rehabilitation yo hav luxur dwelling." Histori preservatio evolve ove th las twent year as grassroot business Urba pioneer wh restore thei ow home develope th skill throug o-th-jo researc an training N school taugh th require courses Yo ha t conten wit architect an developer wh alway wante t tea dow an buil new Yo ha t figh wit banker wh woul no writ mortgage o ol houses No lender kno tha urba restoratio mean mone i th bank Spurre b th Histori Preservatio Ac tha give investmen ta credi fo th rehabilitatio o histori buildings entrepreneur throughou th Unite State hav forme hundred o smal businesse t satisf th deman fo reconstruction "Yo ca star wit on buildin tha i undervalue an pyrami you wa t fortune, Lavick says "Plent o millionaire i Chicag hav don jus that. Eve thoug th investmen ta credi offere b th Histori Preservatio Ac ha bee cu t 2 percen fro 2 percen unde ta reform yo ca stil mak mone i restoration, accordin t Lavicka Th Ac i federa la bu th state implemen it Illinoi ha it ow inspector wh giv invaluabl advice Bu yo hav t as fo th ta credi befor th governmen ca exer it policin authority " buildin designate fo histori preservatio i suppose t b i histori distric o b o histori interes itself Yo tr t kee th exterio tru t th origina concept Yo don' wan t sandblas it o chang th outsid windo openings I som elemen ha bee renovate badl i th past yo shoul restor i t pristin purity. Th Lavicka learne th busines b restorin thei ow Chicag home Victoria mansio buil i th 1880 b th Hine Lumbe family "I helpe tha wa graduat engineer, Lavick says " alway love antique an hav goo feelin fo ol buildings Afte w finishe ou home w go ou firs commission b wor o mout an busines jus too of fro there. "Ol building hav wealt o ornamentatio tha yo can' buy, Lavick continues "Peopl ar beginnin t appreciat a ol buildin fo wha i is t repai wha the can an t replac th missin piece i keepin wit th original W learne tha yo don' nee t gu buildin t d goo jo bu we usuall replac th utilities wiring an plumbing W ad insulatio t th ceiling an drywal over existin plaster W red th fireplace s the work ad sav th staircase an othe ornamenta features." Th valu o buildin depend o man things "I i no alway wha yo hav i it" Lavick says "Financially i i bes t bu an rehabilitat buildin i neighborhoo tha ha bee dow an i no goin up Sinc th Histori Preservatio Ac require tha yo hol buildin fo fiv year befor reselling yo hav th bes chanc fo maxima appreciatio unde thos conditions" Lavick neve expect t ru ou o work "Ther ar plent o ol building i Chicago Th proble i t ge t the an fi the u befor someon els trie t tea the down, Lavick says. T Lavicka th logi o rehabilitatin Chicag hom i unassailable "Th traged o our natio i tha th media pric o hous i no $100,000, Lavick says "Fo tha yo ge littl crat mad ou o 2x4' dol hous i th suburbs. "O th othe hand fo $20,00 t $30,000 yo ca bu decen hous i Chicag wit thing tha work an mayb eve connectin fla tha wil hel t pa you mortgage An no i ba neighborhoo either." Wha i ba neighborhoo i Chicago "Tha i th bi question I the shoo you it' ba neighborhood Mos o th neighborhood i Chicag outsid o th centra cor are ar goo neighborhoods Let' pu i thi way, explain Lavicka "Probabl thir o the hav neve bee considere bad anothe thir o the ar no considere bad b th ol Europea resident wh resen th ne arrival jus of th boat an mayb thir o the ar reall kin o ba an yo shoul sta ou o them kno famil wh live righ nex doo t on o th housin project fo te year an neve ha an kin o trouble The the move t Rive Fores an th firs mont someon bashe i thei ca an stol it. Lavick love Chicag an it ol home H als loves its ol churches "Beaut i wha take peopl ou o th gutter, h says "I yo liv i a plac swarmin wit rat an cockroache bu yo worshi i on o th gran ol churches yo ca g int tha plac an b transforme int on o God' princes Yo fee tha yo ar somebod an yo ca d anything Peopl hav t hav beauty. Althoug h i a Episcopalian h i tryin t sav tw ol Catholi churches St Mary' o th Angel an Hol Family "Th Chicag Archdioces want t abando the bu thei congregation wan t restor them W hav draw u proposal t sho tha th wor ca b don fo muc les tha th Archdioces estimates Thes churche ar work o ar an thei destructio woul b cultura crime. H ha alread earne hi credential i th Chicag Archdiocese "Ou bigges projec s fa wa th renovatio o monaster slate fo demolitio Ou Lad o Sorrow Basilic a Jackso an Kedzi streets W pu togethe pla tha gav the on hundre usabl rooms I the ha tor i dow an buil anew the woul hav bee luck t en wit u te rooms. Othe builder tackl home an churches bu Lavick i th onl Chicag builde t construc hi ow Vietna Veteran Memorial H di i himsel wit littl hel fro hi friends N committees n forma fun raising n politica i- fighting Th memoria rise from 2-foo lo jus sout o fiv building tha Lavick renovate i th 80 bloc o Sout Oakle. A ol Chicag lam pos illumines eac corner Tw Buddhis dragon flan a entranc ston an symbolicall protec th hallowe ground Smal marbl steppin stone lea t th mai structur a th bac o th lot Te cas-iro column painte bloo-re soa t th sk fro concret circle i whic is embedde blac granit ma o Vietnam Vietna Survivor Memorial 196-1975 America' Longes War Eve th scavenger Lavick rescue th column fro gutte offic building th gargoyle fro a abandone Catholi church an th lam post fro a electri company Friend an busines associate donate money materials an labor Th memoria cos $50,000 (Th nationa memoria i Washington D.C. cos $ million; th stat memoria i Springfield Illinois cos $ an 1/ million) Lavick has establishe no-profi foundatio t ow th lo an memoria an t maintai i i perpetuity Wh di Lavick undertak suc project Lavick serve wit 70 man Seabe unit i norther Vietna i 196-1968 H cam back seve di not Lavick remember ever one "There' n doub tha I'v alway bee Do Quixot kin o guy, Lavick muses "Chicago' Welcom Hom Vietna Veteran Parad i 198 inspire m bu wante t d somethin myself owne thi empt lo an sai wh not didn' nee t as anyone' permission didn' eve nee buildin permit. Doe th memoria mea anythin t Chicag veterans Lavick think tha i wil becom rallyin poin fo th mor tha 200,00 Vietna veteran i th metropolita area "Remembe tha thi i survivor memorial, Lavick stresses "Go bles thos wh didn' com back bu th survivor ha th hardes tim o all Eve befor finishe thi project gu calle m o th phon on nigh an crie fo thirty minutes Twent year o agon peacefu gu h jus go throw int somethin an h neve go ove i an h neve will W neve receive an hono fro th countr tha sen u there s no w ar honorin eac other Yo di goo jo an di goo jo an welcom hom a last. Th column ar place fa enoug apar s tha wheelchai ca ente th centra circle Anonymous visitor leav note an flowers "Thi i happ place, Lavick thinks "Yo ca find peac an healin here." Mor tha 50 peopl attende th dedicatio ceremon on Novembe 7 1987 Chicago' mounte polic carrie th flags. Neighborhoo store an restaurant donate foo an beverages. Th Chicag Humanitie Counci sponsore boo-reading las Jun b Larr Heinemann Vietna vetera an autho of Paco' Story winne o nationa boo award Als i June specia 2,00 Balloo Releas ceremon remembere th MIAs. Lavick hope tha th stat o Illinoi wil dee it tw empt lot adjoinin th memoria t th foundation Thi woul provid additiona spac fo seating meditation an specia programs Th foundatio als need donation fo upkee an improvements "Otherwise I'l jus kee comin ove t mo th law myself. Whateve i take, Bil Lavick wil se i through. #####