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January 14, 1928 WINNETKA TALK 49 News of Activity on the North Shore Real Estate Section Construction Work Keeps Builders Busy North Shore Sets a Record in 1927 Building STATISTICS SHOW BIG INCREASE IN PERMITS Total for Year Is $7,318,819, Which Is Million More Than Volume for 1926 By E. T. Selby Another record in building activities on the north shore was established during the year 1927, with a total of $7,318,819 expended, an increase of $1,098,378 over the former high record year of 1926. In the villages of Wilmette, Kenil- worth, Winnetka and Glencoe, a total of 876 building permits were issued, an increase of 115 over the preceeding year. With the development now under- way of many new subdivisions and annexed territery to most of the north shore towns; the contemplated apartment and business blocks in some of them and the ever increasing inflow of people seeking homes on the north shore, the building outlook for 1928 is even better than for the year just closed. Many New Residences A total of 325 new residences at a cost of $5,238,450, exclusive of ground values, were built in these four north shore towns last year. This was an increase of 26, over the previously high record of 1926, and it is confidently expected, by many, that the momen- tum thus attained will continue with corresponding increase for some time to come. Another outstanding feature of the splendid showing, is the ratio of in- crease which has been maintained in the number and value of buildings designated as "apartment, commercial and public," which also includes churches and schools. The total num- ber of permits for this type of build- ings in 1927 was 58, costing $1,221,689, as compared to only 25, at a cost of $783,800 in 1926. A total of $647,069 was expended for repairs, additions and alterations, as authorized by 202 permits for this class of work, an increase of 65 in number and an increased expenditure of almost $350,000. Spend $65,000 for Garages Despite the fact that two less private garages were built in 1927 than in 1926, almost $65,000 more was spent for this class of building, indicating, it is said, the increase in the number of two car garages. On other pages, elsewhere in this section, will be found detailed sum- maries of building activities in each of the four villages, during both 1926 and 1927. McGuire and Orr Report Sales of Vacant Property McGuire & Orr report two recent sales of vacant property. Leo P. Perron has purchased 100x150 feet east of his home on Tower road, Winnetka, from E. I. Osler. This property lies between Prospect avenue and Bryant avenue. Foreman Trust and Savings bank have taken title to the southwest cor- ner of Sheridan road and Mary street, Hubbard Woods. The seller was George Hughes. The property meas- ures 200 feet on Sheridan road, by 194 feet on Mary street. McGuire and Orr were the sale brokers in both transactions. They Head North Shore Real Estate Board F. Coleman Burroughs, Vice- President (Top) Gibson Casebeer Photo Harold R. Vant, Treasurer (Below) Wilthite Photo HE North Shore Real Estate board, which is functioning at high speed, will hold its first meeting of the new year next Monday night at the Glen- gables Tea Room in Glencoe. Also it will be the first meeting under the new administration of which Lewis T. Dodds is president, F. Coleman Bur- roughs, vice-president, Harold R. Vant, treasurer and Robert H. Flaherty, secretary, these men having been in- ducted into office last month. The board reports that during the late months of the past year the member- ship was nearly doubled and that in- dications point to a further increase this year. Charles R. Norman Joins E. E. Stultz Realty Firm Charles R. Norman for two years connected with the Kroll and Smith Real Estate firm on Fourth street, Wilmette has severed his connection with that organization and has joined the E. E. Stults company with offices on Linden avenue. . Lewis T. Dodds, President (Top) Eugene Ray Photo Robert H. Flaherty, Secretary (Below) 'Willhite Photo Rally in December Enables Evanston to Beat °26 Figures By means of a spirited December rally, title of Evanston's banner building year. The year's building total was $16,017. 225, a $191,555 increase over the 1926 total, $15,825,670. More permits were issued during 1927 than during any other year, and the total value of construction work started was also a record. During the last year the building department is- sued 1,524 permits, 124 more than were issued in 1925, the previous high water mark as far as the number of permits issued is concerned. The pre- vious banner year in the dollar col- umn was 1926. During December 75 permits for a total of $1,316,750 were issued. Last December only 65 permits for $1,026,750 were issued, $290,000 less than last month. 1927 was enabled to win the |« SUBURBS SCORE LARGE GAINS OVER LAST YEAR Wilmette, Winnetka, and Glen- coe Lead in Notable Feat Despite National Decline By Robert H. Flaherty (Secretary, North Shore Real Estate Board) There is a big story in the rapid sure-fire development of our north shore suburbs, Wilmette, Winnetka and Glencoe. In only a decade, the last ten years, there has come a remarkable growth, which has brought bigger and more prosperous business and the transformation of thousands of acres of vacant into fine home sites on which stand today beautiful residences. There is no better way to show the great building progress of Wilmette, Winnetka and Glencoe, and here it also should be mentioned that other suburbs ranging farther northward also have scored notable gains, than by citing a few figures covering the year 1927. I have at hand the report of the S. W. Straus company which shows that during the year just closed there was, in the United States, a building shrinkage of approximately $700,000 from 1926. Big Gains on North Shore These figures are startling, but the big decline is not viewed with alarm as prospects for this year, with con- ditions more stabilized, are sound and indications are that there will be no further decline. Attention, however, is called to the Straus report for the purpose of offer- ing a comparison. This shows that while there was a national shrinkage of $700,000, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glen- coe and other north shore suburbs ac- tually moved forward and scored re- markable gains in 1927. Gaze on these figures: 192 1926 Wilmette $2,120,759 $1,587,869 Winnetka ... 4,632,775 2,412,990 Glencoe 2,078,394 1,418,067 It will interest the people of our north shore suburbs to know that had it not been for the building activity in the suburban sections the national de- cline would have been greater. There was no slowing up in building in the suburbs during the past year, but it was Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe and other north shore suburbs that set the speedy pace. Ideal Location for Homes This naturally forces the question, why were these north 'shore suburbs the leaders in building activity? That question is not hard to answer. In Chicago one often hears the term 'north shore" and always the term is associated with "home." It is to the north shore, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe and other suburbs that the big percentage of Chicagoans come when they are apartment-weary and seek the great privacy of a home with its accompanying lawn, the trees, the garden, the restful environment. Perhaps there are some who believe that "north shore" is synomomous with "wealth." True there are mansions on the north shore indicative of great wealth. But just as true is it that there are more and more modest dwellings being erected, where people, substantial people, can abide in the same atmosphere of comfort and con- tentment as their wealthier neighbors. That, in short, accounts for the gains made in building on our north shore in the last year.