Plan is one of 8 NC projects to garner recent funding
Press release from the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, shared Aug. 27:
A reflection of the Jackson Building in downtown Asheville. Katie Bailey/Carolina Public Press
The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office is pleased to announce $87,500 in federal grant support to eight historic preservation projects in seven counties around the state for 2013. Projects range from a citywide architectural survey, to a historic structure report for a historic stadium, to a North Carolina Rehabilitation Code Workshop.
“We are so pleased to make these awards as they represent vital seed money to model historic preservation projects with broad impact in local communities throughout the state,” said Ramona Bartos who heads the State Historic Preservation Office that helps the state’s citizens, private organizations and public agencies identify, protect, and enhance North Carolina’s historic resources and communities through a coordinated program of incentives and technical assistance.
Each year, federal Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grants are awarded by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office through the National Park Service’s Certified Local Governments Program (CLG), a preservation partnership between local, state and national governments focused on promoting historic preservation at the grass roots level. The Historic Preservation Fund is a federal matching grant program administered jointly by the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior and the State Historic Preservation Office.
Late each fall, the Historic Preservation Office announces the availability of competitive HPF grants to each of the 47 local governments in North Carolina that have been designated as CLGs by the National Park Service. These local governments have earned their designation by demonstrating a solid commitment to historic preservation, which includes, among other requirements, establishing a historic preservation commission, enforcing state and local legislation to designate and protect local historic properties, and providing for public participation with this process. Additional information about the CLG program is available at http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/clg.htm.
The 2013 Historic Preservation Historic Preservation Fund grant awards announced are:
Buncombe County
Grantee: City of Asheville and Buncombe County
Project: Asheville Buncombe Preservation Plan
The city of Asheville and Buncombe County will receive a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant of $15,000 to create a historic preservation plan for both Asheville and Buncombe County. The goal of the plan will be to create a guide for the region that will connect the historic preservation program to overall decision making about community and economic development, public investment, urban form and rural identity. The city of Asheville will provide $13,500 in matching funds for the project.
Local Contact:
Stacy Merten, Director
Historic Resources Commission of Asheville & Buncombe County
828-259-5836
smerten@ashevillenc.gov
Catawba County
Grantee: City of Hickory
Project: (former) Ridgeview Public Library Rehabilitation
The city of Hickory will receive a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant of $9,000 to assist in the rehabilitation of the former Ridgeview Public Library. The Colonial Revival-style building served as a branch library in the African-American Ridgeview community from 1951 until 1998 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
The city is assisting the nonprofit organization that owns the building in rehabilitating its exterior and providing an accessible entrance on the rear of the building. This project will focus on the rehabilitation of the building’s exterior, including the restoration of the original wood sash windows, repair and replacement of damaged exterior woodwork and repainting, along with the conversion of an existing window opening on the rear of the building into an accessible entrance. A local match of $6,000 will be provided for the project.
Local Contact:
Dave Leonetti, Community Development Manger
City of Hickory
828-261-2227
dleonetti@hickorync.gov
Chowan County
Grantee: Town of Edenton
Project: North Carolina Rehabilitation Code Workshop
The Town of Edenton will receive a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant of $500 to conduct a public workshop on the North Carolina Rehabilitation Code. The town will work with the state’s only private nonprofit statewide historic preservation organization, Preservation North Carolina, to present the workshop, which will focus on the 27-county service region of the Eastern Office of Archives and History. A match of $300 will be provided by the town.
The availability of training on the North Carolina Rehabilitation Code has been limited and is relatively unknown to many residents and local government officials in a region where more building projects take place on existing buildings rather than new ones. As building codes are often focused on new construction, which can pose challenges for builders and developers when working on an existing building, the 2009 NC Rehab Code was written for those existing buildings. The code allows flexibility for historic buildings and encourages upgrades of existing buildings. The workshop will introduce participants to the Rehab Code and when it should apply in place of normal building codes. To learn more, visit http://ncrehabcode.com/.
Local Contact:
Anne-Marie Knighton, Town Manager
Town of Edenton
252-482-7352
anne-marie.knighton@edenton.nc.gov
Guilford County
Grantee: City of Greensboro
Project: Historic Structure Report for War Memorial Stadium
The city of Greensboro will receive a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant of $12,000 to hire a consultant to prepare a historic structure report for the National Register-listed War Memorial Stadium, which will help to guide future maintenance and rehabilitation efforts. Constructed in 1926 and dedicated on Armistice Day of the same year, the stadium was the first major memorial in North Carolina for the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I. The report will build upon the structural analyses that have been completed and recommend state-of-the-art renovation approaches that will make the building safe, attractive, and functional while preserving historic and architecturally significant features. The city will provide $8,000 in matching funds for the project.
Local Contact:
Stefan-leih Geary, Historic Preservation Planner
City of Greensboro
336-412-6300
stefan.geary@greensboro-nc.gov
Guilford County
Grantee: City of High Point
Project: High Point Industrial Properties Survey
The city of High Point will receive a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant of $7,000 to hire a consultant to conduct an architectural survey of the city’s historic industrial properties that were constructed prior to the late 1960s. The city will provide a match of $8,000 for the project. Once home to more than 100 factories and manufacturers, High Point saw half of the city’s furniture factories close due to the Great Depression. In the years since, High Point has lost many of these older manufacturing structures. The survey will help to identify structures that are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, in the hope of encouraging preservation of and reinvestment in these properties.
Local Contact:
Robert L. Robbins, Development Services Administrator
City of High Point
336-883-3538
bob.robbins@highpointnc.gov
Mecklenburg County
Grantee: City of Charlotte
Project: Charlotte Comprehensive Historic Resource Survey
The City of Charlotte will receive a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant of $20,000 to hire a consultant to conduct the first phase of a comprehensive historic resource survey of the city. The survey will be used as a planning tool to identify, update and verify historic resources within the city’s jurisdiction. The city will provide a match of $30,000 for the project.
As the last architectural survey of Charlotte was conducted in the mid-1980s and was not comprehensive, many historic resources lack protection or even identification. A comprehensive survey will allow planners and decision makers to consider the effect of development proposals on historic resources. The first phase, partly funded by the 2013 grant, will focus on the area within Charlotte’s Route 4, the central portion of the city.
Local Contact:
John G. Howard, Planning Coordinator
Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Department
704-336-5994
jghoward@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Moore County
Grantee: Town of Aberdeen
Project: Aberdeen Design Guidelines Update
The town of Aberdeen will receive a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant of $9,000 to hire a consultant to update design guidelines for the town’s locally designated historic district. Design guidelines provide historic district residents, property owners, and contractors with the information needed when considering a project to repair, rehabilitate or alter historic properties. Design guidelines also help the historic preservation commission and local officials to make consistent and objective decisions regarding work in local historic districts. The town will provide a match of $8,000 for the project.
The development of the new guidelines will include public meetings held by the consultant, town staff and the local historic preservation commission to gain input from both residents and business owners. The new guidelines will address issues not clearly defined or covered by the current design guidelines that include topics such as the use of newer building materials, sustainability issues and infill construction. The final version of the new guidelines will be fully illustrated using local examples and will be available on the town’s website, through social media and in traditional print.
Local Contact:
Pamela Graham, Planning Director
Town of Aberdeen
910-944-7024
pgraham@townofaberdeen.net
Wake County
Grantee: City of Raleigh
Project: Analysis of the Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Raleigh
The city of Raleigh will receive a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant of $15,000 to hire a consultant to prepare an economic analysis study of historic preservation in Raleigh. The city will provide a match of $15,000. The analysis will focus on the following four categories: jobs and household income resulting from historic rehabilitation, the impact of historic designation on property values, the environmental measurements of historic preservation and the contributions of historic preservation to downtown revitalization. The study will provide the Raleigh Historic Development Commission and the community with definitive information to demonstrate the economic value of historic preservation for the city. The final report will be available for the public and will be posted on the commission’s website.
Local Contact:
Martha Lauer, Executive Director
Raleigh Historic Development Commission
919-996-2649
mlauer@rhdc.org