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10 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT Historic Building Recovery Grant Program The Project Officer – Your New Best Friend by Patricia L. Duncan T he $12.5 million dollars in grant money – lobbied for by Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu – has been awarded in a record 45 days from the deadline for applications. “We wanted to get these grants in the hands of homeowners as quickly as possible,” Lt. Governor Landrieu said. “We are determined to rebuild our historic neighborhoods across southern Louisiana.” Now that recipients of Historic Building Recovery Grants are moving forward with the challenging job of repairing their Katrina or Rita-damaged homes and businesses, we want to assure recipients that you won’t face the job EXTERIOR DESIGNS, INC. EST. 1973 alone. If you are unfamiliar with construction terms and practices, don’t despair: each grant recipient will have a mentor to assist and guide him or her through the process. The grant program’s project officers serve as the liaison between grantees and the Division of Historic Preservation. Each is an architectural historian with a construction or historic preservation background. Two are based in New Orleans and the third is headquartered in Baton Rouge, but travels extensively to the Crescent City and other parts of South Louisiana where grant projects are located. A fourth project officer is yet to be hired. Although each grantee is assigned to one officer for the duration of the project, each officer is responsible for overseeing multiple grants. The project officer’s first task is to evaluate a property’s damage and help the grantee to prioritize the repairs. Then the project officer assists the grantee in writing an appropriate scope of work. The scope is a document detailing the work to be done as well as how and when it will be completed. Once the grantee and state authorities have signed the scope, the officer requests that the first payment be made (60% of the grant award). If changes in the scope of work are needed, the officer assists in having the changes approved. Once the project officer is satisfied adequate progress has been made, he or she requests that the next installment of grant funds be paid (an additional 20%). If for some reason work does not start in a timely manner, the officer investigates the cause and attempts to help the grantee get the project moving. Should this attempt fail, the project officer refers the problem to higher authority for resolution. As work proceeds, the officer guides and monitors construction. When questions arise, he or she consults with the grantee, contractors and sub-contractors and, if necessary, helps them to interpret and apply the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Grantees are required to follow these guidelines, which specify best historic preservation practices. He or she also documents all grant activities and progress. At the end of each project, the officer certifies its completion, then requests the final grant payment of 20%. The project officers are Philip Gilmore, Jessica Landry and Tracy Nelson. Each is introduced elsewhere on this page. In addition to their regular duties, the three also will monitor projects in the Carrollton, Garden District, Irish Channel, Lower Garden District, Upper and Lower Central Business Districts and Uptown neighborhoods, as well as part of Esplanade Ridge, until an additional project officer is hired. BEVERLY KATZ, APLD Exterior Designs, Inc., is a landscape planning and contracting company, that specializes in “problem solving for yards.” Design, landscaping, paving masonry for courtyard and pool designs are the companies specialties. Beverly Katz Landscape Designer call 866-0276 for a consultation WWW.EXTERIOR DESIGNSBEV.COM Jessica Landry Jessica Landry is working on a master’s degree in preservation at Tulane University. She monitors grants in South Lakeview, Parkview, Broadmoor, Edgewood Park, Gentilly Terrace, and Esplanade Ridge. She also covers the Old Arabi and Friscoville historic districts in St. Bernard Parish. Landry earned a degree in Civil Engineering and has construction management experience that will be valuable to the grant program. She calls her role as project officer a once in a lifetime opportunity to aid hurricane victims and appreciates their enthusiasm and willingness to appropriately restore their homes. Philip Gilmore By participating in grant clinics designed to help New Orleans residents understand and complete the detailed grant application form, Gilmore served the grant program as a volunteer before joining the staff. He has also conducted architectural re-surveys of National Register historic districts (NRHD) in the Parkview and Faubourg Marigny neighborhoods and has assisted Tarps New Orleans (TNO) with public outreach and event assistance during the October 2006 International Craftsman’s Conference in the city. Gilmore coordinates grants in the Bywater, Faubourg Marigny, New Marigny, Mid City, and Central City neighborhoods. Tracy Nelson Interested in sustainable solutions for the built environment, Tracy Nelson brings experience in the Holy Cross area to the grant program. Immediately after Katrina, she served as a first responder in Bay St. Louis. She assisted with medical evacuations, helped stranded residents reach safety, and partnered with many non-profits to establish a recovery center. In New Orleans, Nelson worked for Architecture for Humanity, connecting architects with disaster victims who need help rebuilding their homes, and with Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association. Nelson also worked with a New Orleans cultural management and research firm to establish a historic GIS digital database for the Broadmoor area. She serves as project officer for the Holy Cross, Vieux Carre, and Algiers Point historic districts. Like Gilmore, she will also work in Esplanade Ridge. www.prcno.org
PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 11 Kevin Mercadel, National Trust for Historic Preservation Heritage tourists spend more and stay longer New Orleans Named a Distinctive Destination for Cultural Tourism by Alex Lemann In a press conference held in Jackson Square, Kevin Mercadel, project manager of the National Trust for Historic Preservation field office at PRC, recognized the city of New Orleans for “achievement in heritage tourism.” N ew Orleans became the thirteenth city on the 2007 “dozen distinctive destinations” list, an honor presented by the National Trust to “unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States.” This year marks the eighth time the list has been presented, bringing the total to 63 destinations in 27 states. “Some places are just too important to let go,” Mercadel said as he presented the award. Since Katrina, the National Trust has been heavily involved in the rebuilding of New Orleans, with more than 1,000 volunteers from around the country assessing damages and planning work scopes for individual homeowners plus providing grants and professional services on 12 Home Again projects in Mid-City, Treme, Holy Cross, South Lakeview and New Marigny. Reaction to the award from the dignitaries who attended the press conference was enthusiastic and supportive. “New Orleans is authentic. New Orleans is not manufactured. We respect it. We love it,” Sandy Shilstone, chief executive officer of the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp., said. State Historic Preservation Officer Pam Breaux pointed out that “more buildings are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in New Orleans than in any other city.” The presentation was widely seen as a recognition of the strength of New Orleans’ historic architecture and its inherent value for cultural tourism. Mayor Nagin, who was in attendance to receive the award, acknowledged that “our historic structures make us so different from everywhere else.” In addition to New Orleans, the National Trust recognized Charlottesville, Va.; Chatham, Mass.; Chestertown, Md.; Durango, Colo.; Ellensburg, Wash.; Hillsborough, N.C.; Little Rock, Ark.; Mineral Point, Wis.; Morgantown, W. Va.; Providence, R.I.; West Hollywood, Calif. and Woodstock, Ill. www.prcno.org
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