The Neighborhood Improvement Association of St. Charles Township Inc. is expanding its efforts this year to rehabilitate aging homes and keep the area’s neighborhoods attractive.
The association plans to reach out to groups of homeowners and individuals in this year’s Neighborhood Pride Contest, said executive director Gloria Klimek.
Launched in 1995, the contest recognizes improvements and rehabilitation efforts in several categories, including historic renovations, landscaping and now neighborhood projects involving at least 75 percent of a block’s residents.
The association also has initiated a program to buy and renovate aging homes. It is making improvements to its first house, a 90-year-old building on Riverside Avenue purchased at an estate auction. The work is expected to be completed by May, after which the association plans to sell the building.
