What happens when you instinctively know a building is significant, but the history is largely unknown? While a developer may feel a building is historic, unless significance is established, a building will not be eligible for the historic tax credits (HTCs). Establishing the historic and/or architectural significance of a building is the first step in […]

As we know, to qualify for historic tax credits (HTCs), a project must be a certified rehabilitation of a certified historic building. One common path for certifying a building as historic is to individually list it on the National Register of Historic Places, a rigorous and time-consuming process. Even in seeking preliminary determinations, this process […]

The materials and techniques involved in modern construction allowed for rapid construction in the mid-20th century. One such technique was the advent of the curtain wall in building construction. Many of the iconic midcentury modern buildings feature curtain walls. From the Seagram Building in New York City to the one-story Farnsworth House, the curtain wall, […]

From the largest billboards to tiny plaques, exterior signs immediately identify the function of a building. Exterior signs have the potential to make or break commercial enterprises housed in a building. When undertaking a rehabilitation project utilizing historic tax credits (HTCs), all exterior signs are subject to review by the state historic preservation office (SHPO) […]

Many building types–particularly single-use properties such as banks, theaters, churches and hotels–have unique and dramatic interior spaces that are character-defining yet challenging to adapt for contemporary uses. […]

Historic buildings are celebrated as local landmarks across the country. From the tallest skyscrapers in large cities to the quaint Main Streets in small town America, these landmarks form the identity of communities. Due to their status, these landmark buildings can attain multiple levels of historic designations, including listing in the National Register of Historic […]

Commercial buildings are not static and do not exist in a vacuum. Intact buildings are rare. Rather, commercial structures are creatures of the real estate market and success invariably means they must be updated to meet evolving market expectations.Read full article here.

Like movies, buildings are full of character: usually a couple of lead characters, aided by supporting characters. When rehabilitating a historic building using historic tax credits (HTCs), the National Park Service (NPS) requires the character-defining features of a building to be maintained. To ensure that this character is maintained, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards […]

The importance of documentation in a historic tax credit (HTC) development cannot be overemphasized. There are actually three distinct forms of documentation, all of which are critical to a successful historic tax credit application. Historic Documentation: First is documenting the historic evolution of the building. With few exceptions, buildings change over time. Tenants move in […]

When undertaking a rehabilitation development using historic tax credits (HTCs), the functional use of the building greatly influences the approach to proposed interior finishes. Reusing historic structures as office buildings requires foresight to understand the needs of future tenants, who may have a specific aesthetic in mind and to balance those needs with the HTC […]