Searching for an alternative to evicting the family, Park City's Chief Building Official, Ron Ivie, approached one of Cathleen's neighbors with an idea. Tim Lee immediately volunteered to spearhead a project to rehab the house. Tim applied for a Historic District Commission grant and secured generous donations of materials and labor from throughout the community. Over and over again, he was greeted with the question, "How can I help?"
The project provided the house with a foundation, stud walls, insulation, new electrical and plumbing systems, an upgraded kitchen and bathroom, a stairway to the street, and a repaired roof. In addition, the project preserved important aspects of the home's historic character. The missing front porch was rebuilt based on historic documentation. Damaged aluminum siding was removed and the original wood siding repaired. A new retaining wall will help insure the hillside does not harm the house in the future. All the work on the house meets the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
The actual cost of the Savage House rehabilitation was $26,000. The value of the work and materials is estimated at $94,000. The value of the generosity shown by the Park City community and the history preserved by this project is priceless.
