New Strategies II

 Hello Everyone:

Yours Truly is back after a work-work-related break.  Blogger had to spend some time updating the resume.  Somewhere between a "national emergency" (more on that tomorrow) and the looming Special Counsel's final report, Yours Truly is going to finish the "New Strategies" post from last week.

Last week we talked about we need to update the preservationist's toolkit (citylab.com; Feb. 8, 2019; date accessed Feb.19, 2019).  Over the past fifteen years, the digital age has made it easier for people to tour historic places from the comfort of their bed.  The good news is that it has created a new awareness for older places.  In theory, it sounds great but in a hot real estate market, rapid investment in urban places has led to rapid demolition in the name of creating density.  Contrast this with a cold real estate markets which allow historic places to go fallow.  The benefits and growing challenges over the past 50 years indicate the preservation strategies have changed but the toolkit available to preservation professional and preservation-minded has sadly lagged behind.  To wit, The Secretary of Interior's Standard of Historic Properties (nps.gov; date accessed Feb. 19, 2019) was written in 1977 and, with the exception of some modest changes, the guidebook that governs the care and maintenance of historic places has not kept up with the times.  Today we are going to look at three examples of why we need to update the preservationists' toolkit.

If you are a preservation professional, you are working with a set of tools that have not been updated since Disco and Punk Rock were competing for the ears of the listening public.  In the United States, preservation work is guided by the Secretary of Interior's Standards (Ibid).  Patrice Frey, president of the National Main Street Center, "Four sets of standards guide four distinct treatments: preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction"  (citylab.com; Feb. 8, 2019).  A lot has changed since the days of Disco.  "We've experienced rapid urbanization, the corresponding decline of rural areas, vast changes (for good and ill) in real estate financing, the beginning of catastrophic impacts from climate change, and a long-overdue awakening to the importance of honoring, telling, and preserving all facets of the American story" (Ibid).

Lincoln's Cottage (1842)
Washington D.C.
en.wikipedia.org

The practice of preservation has barely evolved to the degree that buildings and places are either landmark-worthy or not.  This is a very limited way of understanding the immense variety of historic and cultural resources, some in desperate need of love.  Here are three examples of historic and cultural resources in need of love.

Our first example is Lincoln's Cottage (lincolncottage.org; date accessed Feb. 26, 2019) in northwest Washington D.C., originally built in 1842 for banker George W. Riggs.  During the Civil War (1861-65), it was President Abraham Lincoln's get away, where he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation.

Preservation of the historic fabric is the primary concern in a historic place so important to American history.  Therefore, the National Park's Service's Standards and Guidelines for Preservation (nps.gov; date accessed Feb. 26, 2019) prioritize that attention be paid to applying measures necessary to sustain the the existing, form integrity and materials of the property.  Thanks to the considered guidance given by the Standards, we have an overflowing treasure trove of remarkable buildings that have been thoughtfully conserved for future generations.

Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (1932)
William Lecaze and George Howe
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
en.wikipedia.org

The majority of projects follow the Standards and Guidelines for Rehabilitation (Ibid), which layout the steps for revitalizing historic properties, in preparation for their reuse.  They offer developers a way to approach repairs and changes, while preserving parts of the building important to its historic, cultural, or architectural character.

Shall we take a look at the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society building (hagley.org: Apr. 7, 2011; date accessed Feb. 26, 2019)?  The PSFS building was built in 1932 by architects William Lecaze and George Howe and is the first International Style skyscraper in the United States.  Patrice Frey writes, "The Rehabilitation Standards helped ensure the conservation of key features like the original exterior limestone and aluminum-framed windows, beautiful marble features in the lobby, and the openness of its magnificent banking hall, even as the building was repositioned for a significantly different use as a hotel" (citylab.com; Feb. 8, 2019).

Heart of Texas Grill
San Augustine, Texas
yelp.com

Although the Standards have been applied to a wide array of structures built around the United States before 1960, their usefulness has been questioned.  We are talking about buildings that may be beautifully crafted from quality materials that reflect the regional vernacular but are not typically considered landmark-worthy.  One example is the Heart of Texas Grill in San Augustine, Texas.

Like most of the town's older buildings, it dates back to the early 20th century and still retains its original character defining features: fascinating brickwork, and some of the original window patterns.  However, there are plenty of other examples two-story brick commercial buildings in small towns across the country.  In this case, "much of the building's value to the community is tied instead to its use as a popular eatery and its role as a vibrant social hub in a small town that's been challenged by disinvestment" (Ibid).

Moreover, the Grill has been altered to accommodate the ever-changing needs of the businesses that have occupied the space.  To properly rehabilitate it in a period correct way--i.e. through stringent application of the Standards for Rehabilitation--would be incredibly challenging to the town of 1,800 where building values are low, finance options are limited, and historic preservation preservation tax credits are not a source of financial help.

In these kinds of situations, the main goal of preservationists should be to "support people and communities in retain the places they feel passionately about, and doing so in a way that supports their evolving needs (and reflects their financial realities)" (Ibid).  The can and should allow for flexibility on preservation guidelines.

We now have to ask ourselves how can we re-consider preservation standard to acknowledge a wider range of places?  Ms. Frey suggests using the English system of grading building (historicengland.org.uk; date accessed Feb. 26, 2019) as an inspiration.  She writes, "Under this heritage conservation system, buildings are provided with one of three grades based on differing levels of significance.  Since 1947, historic buildings fall into three categories:" (citylab.com; Feb. 8, 2019)

Grade II buildings (historicengland.org.uk): buildings of special interest, necessitating every possible preservation action.  According to the English system, on "...90 percent-...listed as Grade II..." (citylab.com; Feb. 8, 2019)

 

Grade II* buidlings (historicengland.org.uk): specifically important buildings, greater than special interest.  "...6 percent are listed as Grade II* (citylab.com; Feb. 8, 2019).

Grade I buildings (historicengland.org.uk): top grade buildings of exceptional interest.  "Just 2.5 percent of buildings are listed as Grade I,..." (citylab.com; Feb. 8, 2019)

This strategy would be quite useful in the U.S. and offer a grading scale that "acknowledges that our historic resources are not monolithic: Different kinds of interventions can be expected for different kinds of places" (Ibid).  This could transform preservation and planning professional, forcing them to address the very real fact that not all buildings have the same level of significance but are nevertheless important.

Another way forward is developing new ways to pay for preservation.  Preservation is not cheap and Federal Historic Tax Credit program (nps.gov; Sept. 2018; date accessed Feb. 26, 2019) has been one of the crown jewels of preservation, providing a substantial federal incentive to rehabilitate historic buildings.  In 2018, a group led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Trust Community Investment Corporation were able to save the credit program from the 2017 House budget ax, which eliminated nearly all tax credits.  This successful defense was due, in part, to overwhelming support form American communities that benefited from the HTC or recognized the future potential for the credits to revitalize their main streets. This forced Congress to modify but retain the tax incentive as a permanent part of the tax code.

The good news is over the last decade, new financing tools have emerged to pay for smaller projects.  They offer a promising path that includes "the creation of preservation-focused social impact funds and recent changes in securities law that permit crowdfunded real estate projects"(citylab.com; Feb. 8, 2019).

A new federal program, Opportunity Zones (eig.org; date accessed Feb. 26, 2019) also offer new possibilities for preservationists.  The programs provides incentives to investors to invest in older neighborhoods that have historic buildings.  Enacted by the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act, Opportunity Zones can also pose a challenge for historic resource conservation because there no provision for historic preservation incentives nor does it discourage demolition of historic properties.

What is the way forward?  Creativity and flexibility are the essentials of the contemporary preservationist's toolkit.  Not every historic property is a spectacularly fine example of a particular period.  Nor do they always meet one, some, or all of the criteria for preservation.  Sometimes historic properties are significant to a community for other reasons.  This is why it is absolutely necessary for a radical update of the Secretary of Interior's Standard for Historic Properties that reflects the contemporary realities of preservation.  Also, developing new methods of financing rehabilitation projects can help meet the challenges facing preservation in the face of urbanization and disinvestment.  After all, saving older historic properties on our communities is what helps make America great.