By the mid-1990s the condominium market was gaining strength, military base closures totaled more than 350 installations and many mill renovations were under way. While many of these projects offered historic renovation opportunities, they also raised questions about the use of historic federal tax incentives on properties with multiple owners. When addressing these ownership issues […]

Study after study has proved that the federal historic tax incentive program, through the rehabilitation and ultimate adaptive reuse of older and historic buildings, has been one of the most successful and cost effective programs in leveraging private investment, fostering public private partnerships and creating jobs in both good and bad economies. The program has […]

Since its inception as part of the Tax Reform Act of 1976, the federal historic tax credit (HTC) has aided with nearly $100 billion in rehabilitation investment. This law provided a 25 percent federal income tax credit on monies used in the rehabilitation of commercial, agricultural, industrial or rental buildings that are certified historic structures. […]

When I first began my career in historic preser­vation I learned that there were two important views of a historic downtown building, the ground level – a dynamic area, ever changing with the influx of people, permanent and passing retailers and tenants, basically a barometer of the economic condi­tions in country, and the upper floors, […]

Ever since I began working in the field of historic preservation in the 1970s as grants manager and state and federal tax coordinator for the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, historic preservation projects have always had funding gaps that needed to be filled. In the past, these gaps were filled by various methods, whether it […]

The 20 percent federal historic tax credit (HTC) is a critical tool for affordable housing development. This tax credit can be combined with low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) and, depending upon location, urban renewal funding and state historic incentives. This is particularly true for single room occupancy (SRO) housing, which is often located in former […]

An often overlooked element in historic rehabilitation projects is what’s on top of the building. As the demand for additional square footage, mechanical considerations and new technology encroach on the use of rooftop space, it is important that developers of historic properties pay particular and early attention to what’s on top of a building, as […]

Financing any type of real estate deal over the last couple of years has been difficult, to say the least. The EB-5 program was created by Section 610 of Public Law 102-395 on October 6, 1992. This was in accordance with a congressional mandate aimed at stimulating economic activity and job growth while allowing eligible […]

The federal government in May announced plans to dispose of 12,218 excess properties – and that number is considered just the tip of the iceberg. These buildings include the spectrum of federal properties, including offices and warehouses. At first blush, the idea of buying a surplus government building is an attractive one.