“Sensory overload” is the best way to describe yesterday’s historic district building tour and tax credit field day.
In terms of educational content, the field day was intended to answer a few basic questions with respect to processes involved with rehabilitating, modifying, and restoring listed historical properties located in designated historical districts.
If you are the owner of such a property and wish to rehabilitate it for use, what are the rules? What canm you do and not do? How do you go about it in such a manner that will enable you to claim the 20% federal tax credit?
What can be changed, what must remain the same? What are character-defining features of a façade? What are the rules concerning windows? How do you restore brickwork? What is the application procedure?
Like I said, just a few simple questions ...
From the layman’s point of view, yesterday provided the rare opportunity to get inside three historical structures and see what’s behind their façades, all the while listening to an architect (David Duvall) discuss design elements and construction techniques, with background provided by note local historian David Barksdale.
All in all, it was an amazing learning experience.
Readers, bear with me today as I sift through Wednesday’s photos and post a few notes about each of the three buildings featured during the downtown field day. First will be the Reisz building, followed later this afternoon by Shrader Stables and the Baptist Tabernacle.
While I’m not the person to provide technical details yesterday's program, if you have questions or wish to learn more, contact me privately and I’ll direct you to the people who can help.
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10 comments:
Thanks for reading. I'm hoping to post the other parts ASAP, but have to spend a few hours at work first.
Thanks, TD, but I must remind you that our policy here is no pen names on comments without my knowing your identity.
You may e-mail me privately, and of course it will be confidential.
Thanks again.
Thanks for the informative posts. Even though I only attended part of workshop, I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge on the tax incentive process. The hands on nature of the day really helped remove a lot of the mystery.
Another attendee made a great point to me. This workshop was a collaboration of many entities. I’ll probably miss some, but here are the groups I know were part of this program: DNA, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Indiana Main Street, New Albany Historic Preservation Commission, City Planning Commission, City Economic Development, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA)…you get the idea. It was a group effort to transfer knowledge to those interested in developing historic buildings – and I believe it was successful.
I think it also demonstrated that when a building purchase is made (hopefully soon!) and a project begins – an investor/developer can count on continued support from these groups.
Where is there a house next to Rally's on Spring Street? Is it the house adjacent to the alley or drive of the old Lucille Reisz Elementary School building? If so, I was told that was on the list to be torn down during the last year of Regina's term. Hmmm?
It was a great day and I came away with a lot of valuable information and resources.
Historic Landmarks has a plan to save the house next to the Reisz school!
Ceece, let us know - I was at the FDR dinner.
Bravo Ceece! Fixing up the worst house on the street will have a positive impact. With the Looking Glass and Calumet Club nearby, this will serve to enhance Spring even more.
You have the full support of S. Ellen Jones NA as well. If you need any help - especially sweat equity - give us a yell.
Great news. So glad that someone has been found so quickly to take on that project. It is a big one!
To Truth Detector
Just noticed your rude comment. Perhaps you are the same person who made the rude remark to me on the street Wed. I did not appreciate it one bit.
Since you are so interested in the "truth", it just so happens that at various times throughout the day when our chaperones thought it safe we were allowed to let go of the rope and look around a little on our own.
In fact, Mr. Barksdale, who in addition to being a tireless volunteer in our community is a teacher, declared us the best-behaved group he had ever taken on a field trip.
Many of used precious vacation time from our jobs to attend the program because we are interested in our community and in historic preservation.
Take a good look at those pictures. It won't be the last time you see us around.
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