COMMUNITY & PEOPLE
Completes First Rehab
T
he Sanford Heritage Revolving Fund (Fund), a tax exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the first of its kind in Florida.
Based on guidelines from other long-established revolving funds, such as the Historic Savannah Fund and the Historic Macon Foundation, the goal of the Fund is to acquire distressed historic properties, rehabilitate the property and sell it with a single family, owner-occupied deed covenant. Proceeds of the sale are “revolved” back into the fund and used for the next redevelopment project. The fund started as a direct response to the high visibility of vacant and blighted properties in historic neighborhoods. Fund directors, Hank Dieckhaus, Charlie Hull and Bill Kirchoff, saw the need for a Revolving Fund in Sanford. The house at 213 S. Laurel was donated to the fund by a California hedge fund. The house was in a dilapidated, unsafe and unsaleable
8 MY SAN FORD MAGA ZI N E | SP R I NG 2020
B Y K AT H Y H U L L
condition. The City of Sanford facilitated the donation of the house to the fund. The house was inhabited by a squatter who claimed to own the property. The squatter lived in the house rent free and was collecting room rent from six other individuals. The squatter and five renters plus a dog left right away rather than waiting for eviction. The last renter held on till the last day of the eviction notice. The interior of the house was a flea infested nightmare. Disgusting carpet covered holes in the floor, added plywood partitions, a non-functioning kitchen, unsafe exterior staircase, and a small bedroom with a dirty toilet just sitting next to a bed were just some of the things that needed to be removed before renovation could begin. Hank, Charlie and Bill were determined to rehab this home to its original glory. They financed the project through a bank loan from Citizen’s Bank, material donations from Lowe’s, a matching grant from the Sanford Historic Trust and a few private donations.
left: 213 S. Laurel Ave. after renovation, and before (top); Center: Fund directors during demolition; Bottom: Open House held by the fund managers
Much of the demolition was done by Hank and Charlie, plus volunteers and a subcontractor. The interior was completely gutted, including all interior walls and flooring. Two lower exterior walls were removed to reveal the original front porches. Local subcontractors were hired to do interior and exterior work. The layout was redesigned to include an addition to the house on the rear bottom floor. The work, once started, took nine months. 213 S. Laurel Avenue is the first endeavor of the Sanford Revolving Fund. The directors are currently looking for their next project. After building a new house in Sanford's historic district, Kathy, a retired Miami Dade art teacher, moved to Sanford eleven years ago with her husband, Charlie. Since then, she has been instrumental in getting the 'Old Sanford Historic District' signs designed and installed. Kathy, along with Reg Garner, started the annual Images of Sanford calendar and photo contest. In addition, Kathy makes pet portraits and donates the proceeds to Pet Rescue by Judy.
COURTESY SANFORD HERITAGE REVOLVING FUND
SANFORD HERITAGE REVOLVING FUND
