Presented by:
Jennifer Walkowski, Architectural HistorianMeagan Baco, Preservation PlannerClinton Brown Company Architecture, pc
Kenneth Rogers, ChairRichmond Ashland National Register Historic District Initiative (RANDHI) Community Council
All contents © CBCA 2013
Home-Grown Historic Preservation: Creating a Huge National Register Historic District, Out of the Box & In the Neighborhood Landmark Society of Western New York April 19, 2013
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•Residential – commercial mix•Elmwood Village Association•Owner-occupied and renters•No community center•Very little block club activity•Elmwood Village Association•Congregations/Churches
Community OrganizationA Neighborhood Comes Together
•Engaging the neighborhood•Enhance their profile•Use the church as a community gathering place – “A beacon to the community”•Eligible as a historic site on its own•Source of early volunteers
St. John’s-Grace Episcopal Church
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“It did not hurt our effort that our participation and designation would make us eligible for foundation grants to help us upgrade our own facilities.”
Reverend Phil DoughertyRector, St. John’s-Grace Episcopal Church
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St. John’s-Grace Episcopal Church
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•Ken Rogers – non-preservationist civilian•The Clint Brown – Sam Hoyt double team•Individual benefit•The right thing to do •The right time to do it•The right people to do
it with•If not me, then who
would do it?
Recruiting a leader to the cause
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•Street representation•Political representation•Core group of activists
Forming a Grassroots OrganizationCommunity Council and the politics of community
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• Grants strategies -Funding sources• Neighborhood fundraising
-Self interest vs. community interest-Telling the story with a “hook”
• Political support• Preservation Buffalo Niagara
Resource Development
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•Elmwood Village Association•Individual business owners•Preservation Buffalo Niagara steps in
EVA and Commercial Interests
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Communication
• 1,600 Property owners
• 2,000 stakeholders
• 25 Meetings
• Dozens of mailings
• Website
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CommunicationKnow Your Audience
• Getting neighborhood leaders on-board
• Appropriateness of method
• Mail? Email? Call? Ping? Poke? Coffee?
• A local initiative with a local approach; a tactile project with tactile communications
• Social media is not always the answer
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CommunicationManaging Your Message
What is your hook?
• Community good
• Personal benefit
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CommunicationManaging Your Message
What is your hook?
• Community good
• Personal benefit
© CBCA 2013
CommunicationManaging Your Message
• What is your hook?
• Community good
• Personal benefit
Some things we did:
• Direct calls for action
• Bring in new owners
• Quarterly updates
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CommunicationCreatively Use Existing Networks
• Beyond mail merge
• Neighborhood newsletter
• Content balanced with Call for Action
• Attend tangential meetings
• Local public events
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CommunicationPrepare for a Positive Response
• You’ve invited comments, be ready for them!
• Fielding phone calls
• Build mailing database that can grow
• Allow, respond to, tally and share comments
• Share your successes
• Say thank you!
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Creating the NominationPrevious historic resources survey work
Recommendations from the Grant-Ferry-Forest Intensive Level HRS, completed in 2006
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Creating the NominationDetermining Complex Boundaries
Initial mapping concept (Aug 2010) Further refining boundaries (March 2011)
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Creating the NominationWhat is in a name?
“Map of the New Elmwood District” from Greater Buffalo, November 1902
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Review and approval!
State Board for Historic Preservation Review Meeting September 20, 2011
Philipse Manor Hall
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•NYS Historic Homeownership Tax Credit -An effective incentive
Using the Residential Tax Credit
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• State Commercial HP Tax Credit Projects:5 Part 1s filed and approved by NPS1 Part 2/3 filed - $20,000 investment
• State Residential HP Tax Credit Projects:38 applications filed with SHPO $ 1,255,537.35 worth of investmentThat averages more than $33,000 per project!That’s money reinvested in local labor, businesses
and resources in the community!
The Results!
For more information
Clinton Brown Company ArchitectureThe Market Arcade617 Main Street, Suite M303Buffalo, New York 14203PH (716) [email protected]
RANDHI Community CouncilKenneth Rogers, ChairPH (716) [email protected]
Thank you!
Questions?© CBCA 2013
Please visit: www.ranhdi.wordpress.com