Preservation Resource Center

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6 APRIL 2007 PRESERVATION IN PRINT From the D I R E C T O R Patricia Gay, executive director Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans Time for strategies to attract and assist residents to restore historic homes Gold Mine of Vacant Properties hroughout this time of recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the Tflooding of most of New Orleans, thousands of man hours have been spent at meetings about demolition and about new construction, the latter ranging from design, affordability and environmental issues to who builds what where. It is time that we started having meetings about how to put the thousands of vacant houses back into service as homes. Our experience is that a vacant and deteriorated property can be a gold mine – in terms of quality of life, life-time investment and tax revenues – for the homeowner, for the neighborhood and for the city. We need to be meeting about specific strategies to attract and assist residents to restore and live in these houses. New Orleans is challenged now more than ever, needless to say, with the number of vacant properties since the storm. That means we must strategize, plan carefully, and apply resources. When we say apply resources, we of course mean funding (as well as expertise, creativity and determination), but the costs would be nowhere near what they would be for demolition and new construction. To be sure, there will be new construction. Fortunately, much has been written about the necessity for good design in new construction, for design that complements existing structures and for design that reflects the rich architectural heritage of this city. Perhaps the reason restoration of vacant properties is not the priority it should be is because for the most part we are talking about one building at a time, and not, for example, 200 new houses in one fell swoop, all under one contract. But with careful planning, 200 properties could be put back into service, with less public subsidy and much greater leverage impact. One issue to consider is the market. How strong is the market for brand new neighborhoods One thing this city has going for it is that it is a place whose existing neighborhoods have tremendous appeal to current residents, to residents who have not yet returned, and to many who have always loved New Orleans and have thought about moving here. There is a market, but the market is far stronger for older buildings than for new construction. Certainly there are people who prefer new to old, and we will need new construction, but for rebuilding the population of New Orleans, it will be the older buildings that have the most appeal to the most people. In areas that developed after 1960, for example, existing buildings in oncestable neighborhoods are more likely to attract both former residents and new residents due to several factors. One is that a restored 1960’s building is likely to cost less than a new building of lesser quality. Another is that in most cases the amount invested in restoring a property, even if the property is not yet old enough to be historic, usually increases in value at the time of completion. In particular this happens when adjacent and nearby properties are also being restored. There is a mutual and synergistic effect; all properties begin to increase in value as work and energy are in evidence, reflecting a commitment to the revitalization of the area. The market for all-new neighborhoods, or for individual new houses, will be strengthened by the restoration of existing buildings. In any case, demolitions do not send a message of vitality. Vacant lots are not a sign of revitalization, and nothing says more about “It must become public policy that rehabilitation of existing housing stock is always the first consideration and that it proceed from a city-wide plan.” Walter Gallas Director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation New Orleans Field Office the vitality of an area than homeowners restoring their homes. It’s been happening in many neighborhoods throughout the city; we need to make it happen in more. Certainly there are prospective homebuyers who are not looking to undertake a major restoration. For this reason development on a smaller scale must also be encouraged. New Orleans is blessed with a large contingent of contractors and developers who over the decades have been renovating a few houses at a time. Incentives must be developed for the restoration of individual properties, one way or another, and marketing strategies must be developed to attract those who would undertake the work. So how do we make it happen Restoration, currently ignored, must become a priority. PRC is willing and able to do more, and others are as well. Since 1976, PRC has been in the business of putting vacant and deteriorated properties back into service, with considerable positive impact (there is always a tremendous ripple effect from building restoration). It seems to be contagious! We have some ideas, to be sure! And we are certain others do, too. We all need to be meeting with appropriate authorities and mapping out plans and strategies both to assist returning homeowners in restoring their homes, and to put vacant and abandoned properties back into service. While meetings about restoration of properties should have started shortly after the storm, it is never too late. For one thing, there have been efforts all over the city toward this end. PRC gave weekly workshops to assist returning homeowners, and much has been done in specific neighborhoods with assistance from a variety of sources. This has been very encouraging. But meetings need to be organized by appropriate city and state agencies, and resources applied, to address the development of strategies and incentives to put vacant buildings back into service. The gold mine of New Orleans neighborhoods and architecture is too valuable not to take action, and we can do it, house by house, neighborhood by neighborhood. Louisiana Legislation in the Works State Historic Tax Credit: Amending the existing credit law to make it consistent with the Federal Historic Tax Credit, including removing the sunset date and tax credit cap. Furthermore, the credit will be expanded to apply in all properties designated as historic by federal or local bodies. State Building Code: Amending the state building code adopted in the 2005 Special Session to include a Rehabilitation Subcode based on the New Jersey model. Performing Arts Infrastructure Tax Credits: (Senate Bill 17) This bill would allow a 25 percent tax credit for the rehabilitation of historic Canal Street and adjacent theaters, including the Saenger and Orpheum. The credit is part of the Performing Arts Tax Credit bill by Senators Murray and Schedler, also known as “Broadway South.” www.prcno.org
PRESERVATION IN PRINT APRIL 2007 7 PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER OF NEW ORLEANS ANNOUNCES A CALL FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND CAPTION ENTRIES N E W O R L E A N S ’ F A V O R I T E S H O T G U N S JURIED BY COTTAGE LIVING MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEAN HERR AND STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ROBBIE CAPONETTO. DEADLINE: All entries must be submitted digitally by April 25, 2007. The shotgun is a rectangular house with all the rooms arranged directly behind one another in a straight line, front to back. Single, double, camelback, and two-story shotguns will all be accepted for the contest. EXHIBIT OPENING: Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, June 29, 2007 (tentative) in connection with Shotgun House Month and the opening of Cottage Living’s 2007 Idea Home in Uptown New Orleans. The jurors are looking for STRIKING IMAGES OF SHOTGUN HOUSES in New Orleans accompanied by 100-WORD CAPTIONS WITH THE HUMAN STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE. A photographer and writer may enter as one team. children growing up or going back to visit the family home, the time it was a movie set, the odd goings-on around the place – whatever makes the shotgun special to you or to someone you interview and brings it alive for the audience. Entries will be judged on the combined impact of the photo and caption. ENTRY DETAILS: Original digital submissions (75 dpi in jpg, tiff or psd) accompanied by caption in body of e-mail should be sent to alemann@prcno.org no later than April 25, 2007 (subject: favorite shotgun submission). Include all contact information in e-mail. Each entrant may submit up to five images with accompanying captions, however, each entry must be in a separate e-mail. NOTIFICATION: Winners will be advised by e-mail no later than June 1, 2007. At that time the original file must be uploaded to our ftp site. Framed artwork (of any size), which includes caption either inside mat or separately, must be delivered to the Preservation Resource Center, 923 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130 no later than June 25, 2007. The photos can be full views or details, with or without people, digitally enhanced or straight forward. Before/After images framed together (one of each) are acceptable. The stories should bring life to the photo. Tell about the couple who renovated the house, the old man sitting on the porch, the feeling you get every time you pass by, the Magazine Street shopkeeper set up in a shotgun, the jazzman who once lived there, the time you stayed there, the way it’s changed over the years, the Since 1974 the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans has been dedicated to the restoration and revitalization of New Orleans’ historic neighborhoods and architecture. www.prcno.org 923 Tchoupitoulas St. New Orleans, LA 70130 504/581-7032 fax: 504/636-3073 www.prcno.org
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