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 […]

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 […]