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 […]

Brutalism has long been viewed negatively in the architectural community as “monolithic” or “imposing,” but has come back into vogue as changing tastes redefine design. At the same time, many of these buildings, built in the late 1960s through the 1970s, are reaching the 50-year threshold for National Register historic designations; thus, are potentially eligible […]

When you visit a city, you’re bound to see all types of buildings: commercial, residential institutional and ecclesiastical. These come in all ranges of styles and sizes, depending on your location. In more than 30 years of being in the historic real estate redevelopment industry, I’ve seen many types of buildings rehabilitated using historic tax […]

In reviewing projects for historic tax credits (HTCs), the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and National Park Service (NPS) evaluate proposed work under the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (Standards). While the Standards are general in nature, there is published guidance to illuminate how the Standards are applied to projects.Essentially, the intent of […]

Happy New Year and welcome to 2016! It’s that time of the year when we make and break resolutions; when we take stock of the developments of the past year and look ahead to those in the year to come. In the spirit of the New Year, it seems appropriate to provide an update regarding […]

The notion of a historic rehabilitation generally conjures up images of Victorian late 19th-century or early 20th-century architecture. Many people don’t realize that buildings constructed as recently as 1965, or possibly more recently, may, in fact, qualify for historic tax credits (HTCs). Increasingly, HTC projects involve the rehabilitation of buildings constructed in the mid-20th century, […]

For some developers, it is not enough to renovate and update a historic building. Rather, they have a vision that links art, architecture and heritage. For some, history and architecture form the basis of interior design, typically expressed by using historic photographs along the corridor walls. Such is the case of the Palmer House in Chicago and the Netherlands Hotel in […]