| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010 7:02 am |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
Home 
|
||||||||||||
Developer Steve Hager's Donovan home effort receives an award For the first time, the city of Everett is recognizing a developer with a special Monte Cristo Award.The developer, Steve Hager, led an effort to move 11 historic homes built by noted architect Edward Donovan that would have been torn down to make room for a $500 million hospital expansion. "This was a unique effort to preserve these houses," said Wendy McClure, coordinator for the Office of Neighborhoods. "Once the homes were moved, they were so carefully tended and sited. He created a whole new street so the homes stayed together." The cottage-style homes were placed on 10 acres on a newly created street called Donovan Lane, a half-mile from their original lots. Hager has been working for more than 18 months restoring each house. Four have sold. Hager said moving and restoring the homes was first a financial decision. He acquired the homes for nothing but had to pay $25,000 to $30,000 to move each house. The homes needed substantial work, including foundations and detached garages, new plumbing and heating systems. They'll sell for $277,000 to $375,000 each. Refurbishing the homes as well as buying and developing the land ate into most of his profits. "There's a slim margin, to be honest," he said. This is about more than making a buck for Hager. He spent the last 20 years overseeing the development of new residential and commercial buildings at Harbour Pointe. Now, he works at the Donovan site doing whatever needs to be done, including carpentry and cleaning. He wanted to preserve the original hardware so badly he took every brass hinge and crystal doorknob home on the weekends to boil, strip and scrape off the paint. He agonized over 11 different striking colors for the houses he calls the 11 grandmothers for the aches and pains and idiosyncrasies each offers. "I never thought I'd move from real estate developer down to the guy cleaning sinks and becoming a finish carpenter," Hager said. "I love being involved with the houses." Hager also is making plans to buy a historic Weyerhaeuser building and move it to a location along the Snohomish River. That move, which will likely happen with the help of a barge, is scheduled for 2009. The building is in a spot targeted for redevelopment. |
- Snohomish man dies in snowmobile accident
- A gift for a gifted kid
- Chocolate elegance: Monroe chocolatier hopes shop grows from simple beginnings
- Ex-official pleads not guilty in drunken golf course incident
- Everett cat goes from imperiled to princess
- Mariners' Moore looks to be ready for The Show
- An early start to allergy season
- Silvertips fall short in quest for No. 1 seed
- Life by chocolate
- The ‘Buzz’ from Marquette
- Census mailing a money saver
(9) - Gunfire at site of Kirkland medical marijuana grow (7)
- Monroe cell-tower plan angers neighbors (6)
- The Hub, a Snohomish institution, closes (5)
- A gift for a gifted kid (4)
- Paine Field results delayed by months (3)
- Gas costs are climbing for the season (3)
- Students to have their first look at ‘WASL-lite’ (2)
- PREP BASEBALL: Murphy looking to finish the job in 2010 (2)
- Ex-official pleads not guilty in drunken golf course incident (2)
- Yelm ousts Lynnwood girls, 54-51
- Meadowdale boys take aim at fifth place
- Archbishop Murphy girls keep vow to win
- Meadowdale boys refuse to fold, but rally falls short in 3A state opener
- Prairie’s zone defense stymies Lynnwood at Class 3A state girls basketball tournament
- Ellensburg takes it to Archbishop Murphy girls at 2A tourney
- Beyond the ‘Woodstock Generation'
- Magical run for Jackson
- Boeing to Offer NewGen Tanker to US Air Force
- New CEO at Valley General Hospital
- Dan Koffman's ‘TopSpin' marketing astounds, inspires, motivates, produces — just for starters
- Economic forecasts for Snohomish County, Everett, Marysville offer some bright moments
- Government officials influencing home prices
- Massive EPA energy regulations meet challenge
- Washington state healthcare reforms also needed
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
| Top Cars |
|
| Top Homes |
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|Contact Us
|Advertiser Services
|Home Delivery
|Newsstand Locations
|Classifieds
|Feedback
|About the Company
|Work@the Herald
|Site Map |
|