Road to Revitalization: Maximizing Historic Tax Credits Series Recap
During the final days of Preservation Month this May, we took the opportunity to highlight the positive impact of the NYS and Federal Historic Tax Credit programs here in New York. While significant challenges resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic this year, we continue to support the role preservation can play in recovery efforts. A notable victory came during this year’s NYS legislative session: a 10% increase to the state historic tax credit for small projects under $2.5 million (for a total credit of 30%). To celebrate, we presented a special three-part webinar series. If you missed it live, we’ve got you covered.
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Land Banks, Preservation & Affordable Housing
We invited several professionals whose work exists at the intersection of preservation and affordable housing to hear their perspectives on how this work is being done successfully — and what challenges still exist. Our panelists share examples of how preservation and affordable housing efforts can work together, from community land trusts to land banks, along with specific project examples.
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A New Canal Season to Celebrate: Benefits Flow Far and Wide
Along with millions of New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world, we are excited to celebrate our historic New York State Canal System opening on May 21, 2021. Like it has throughout its nearly 200-year history, the opening of New York’s canals ushers in a new season of recreational and commercial activities with social and economic benefits that flow far and wide.
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Announcing the 2021 Zabar Scholars
For three years, the League has been fortunate to work with Lori Zabar and the Zabar Family Foundation to award scholarships to the best and brightest preservation students from around New York State. Thanks to their generosity, these Zabar Scholars will receive $1,000 to support their education and research.
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Bringing a 225-Year-Old Market Back to Life
A look at the recently restored Arthur’s 1795 in Schenectady, a neighborhood coffee shop and market with deep roots in the community.
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Assemblymembers Woerner, McDonald, and Fahy Host Press Conference Celebrating Historic Tax Credit Improvements
On Friday, May 7, League President Jay DiLorenzo joined with Assemblymembers Carrie Woerner, John T. McDonald III, and Patricia Fahy to celebrate improvements to the state commercial historic tax credit in the 2021-2022 NYS budget. The press conference was held at the Collar Factory Lofts in Troy, a historic factory turned into loft apartments by Redburn Development — with the help of historic tax credits. Redburn Development Principal Tom Rossi and Troy Mayor Patrick Madden were also on hand to share remarks, mentioning to positive effect the increased credit is sure to have on Troy and other cities like it across the state.
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Sustainable Preservation
In this webinar, the League welcomed Nakita Reed, Associate at Quinn Evans, Evan Mason, Principal of Sustainable Homes+Yards, Melissa Auf der Maur, Director and Co-founder of Basilica Hudson and River House Project, and Angel Ayón, Principal of AYON Studio Architecture and Preservation, to have a conversation around the intersection of preservation and sustainability, from specific policy issues and project examples to how the field needs to move forward.
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Exploring New Uses for an Old Pump Station
The Historic Schenectady Stockade Pump Station is the focus on a feasibility reuse study, funded through a 2020 Technical Assistance Grant. We stopped by to see the site and talk to local residents who are actively engaged in advocating for the building’s next chapter.
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The 2021 Pillar Awards: A Virtual Celebration
A recap of the 2021 Pillar Awards, bringing preservationists together from across the state and beyond to celebrate Hermes Mallea, MCR/Morse Development, and PBDW Architects. Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, the League raised over $330,000 so far to support our statewide work.
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Heritage Buildings and the Art of Creating Healthy Environments
Our relationship with the built environment has changed considerably over the past year. COVID-19 has disrupted our lives in myriad ways, including how and where we spend our time. We have spent so much time in our own homes, so little time in indoor public spaces, and more time — if we were lucky — taking refuge outdoors. Over a year into the pandemic, things are starting to open back up, and we are starting to think about how our public places can better serve us in a post-COVID world. When the team from Walter Sedovic Architects | Modern Ruins reached out about putting a webinar together to do a deep dive into this topic, we jumped at the chance to host them.
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The Story of a House: Storytime with Miki Conn
Miki Conn reads her book The Story of House, followed by a kid's activity inspired by the story led by the Historic Albany Foundation.
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National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Provides Training to NYS Preservation Professionals
Over the course of two days, trainers Ramona Bartos, Friedericke Mittner, and Abbey Christman took us on a jam-packed seven hours of training on legal fundamentals, design review guidelines, alternative materials, procedures and commissioner roles, infill design, and mid-century resources.
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Historic Tax Credit Webinar Round-up
A few recent webinars exploring one of our favorite topics — Historic Tax Credits. Each of these webinars focus on a slightly different aspect of Historic Tax Credits, but they all touch on the broader positive impact this program, and historic preservation more generally, has on community revitalization.
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Technical Talk: Historic Windows
If you have historic windows in your home, you might be tempted to replace them – but might we suggest rehabbing them instead?
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Walking with Calvert Vaux: The Hoyt Drive Warren Truss
Scenic Hudson received a 2020 NYSCA-funded Preserve New York grant to fund a Cultural Resource Survey of 12 historic steel truss bridges that were built to provide access to the Hudson River over the Hudson River line railroad tracks. With their Survey recently completed, we reached out to Scenic Hudson’s Director of Land Use Advocacy Jeffrey Anzevino to see if he would be interested in sharing a bit about this exciting project.
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DC Preservation Advocacy Week recap
Although we missed our traditional Capitol Hill visits in DC this year, hundreds of historic preservation supporters from around the country convened virtually to advocate for preservation with their state Congressional Representatives.
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Celebrating Women's History in New York
A few places to explore women’s history in New York in honor of International Women’s Day.
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It's a Helluva Town: Roberta Brandes Gratz in Conversation with Anthony Wood & Amy Freitag
Roberta Brandes Gratz is a noted urbanist and journalist, as well as a longtime Preservation League Trustee. Her newest book, It’s a Helluva Town: Joan K. Davidson, the J. M. Kaplan Fund, and the Fight for a Better New York, explores the profound impact of Joan K. Davidson and her work through her family fund.
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The Great Migration in New York
While we’ve been reading Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration as our February Preservation Book Club pick, we wanted to dive into the topic of the Great Migration and its effect on New York. On Tuesday, February 23, we welcomed historians Dr. Carla DuBose-Simons and Dr. Jennifer Lemak and members of the Rapp Road Historical Association Beverly Bardequez and Stephanie Woodard to share their expertise.
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