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National Trust for Historic Preservation presents award to Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency's Upstairs Downtown program
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Revitalization program has downtowns
looking up
[October 05, 2007]
ST. PAUL,
Minn. -- The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency's Upstairs
Downtown program received a prestigious National Preservation Honor
Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation on Thursday.
The project is one of 21 national award-winners the National Trust
for Historic Preservation is honoring during its weeklong 2007
National Preservation Conference in the Twin Cities of St. Paul and
Minneapolis.
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Across the country, there are thousands of
buildings with vacant upper floors. As sidewalks buzz with
activities and storefronts cast a welcoming glow, upstairs windows
are dark and the spaces behind them are often vacant and forgotten.
But the Upstairs Downtown program, an ambitious initiative of the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is working to provide
comprehensive strategies for revitalizing these underdeveloped
spaces in historic downtown buildings. Launched in 2005, the
Upstairs
Downtown program conducts workshops that address the challenges
involved in bringing upper floors back into active use. The Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency estimates that in Illinois alone, more
than 40,000 downtown buildings have upper floors that have sat
vacant for nearly 30 years. Given that these commercial spaces have
a central location, high visibility and complete community
infrastructure, the agency has targeted them as prime candidates for
redevelopment.
"Thanks to this award-winning program, more and more people are
learning that viable reuse of upper floors is achievable -- and as a
result, downtowns are looking up," said Richard Moe, president of
the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Upstairs Downtown
demonstrates the great value of historic resources in activating
economic development and providing a strong foundation on which to
build healthy, vibrant downtown communities across the country."
In an effort to clarify the zoning and building regulations that
govern these historic properties, the program provides a tool kit of
information focusing on a wide range of critical topics, such as
design, insurance and marketing. The presentations are augmented by
case studies involving a variety of uses and budgets that illustrate
real-life successes. Walking tours showcase renovated spaces as well
as those with untapped potential.
Originally targeted to Illinois communities, Upstairs Downtown
has taken its message on the road, making presentations at
conferences in other states. National experts participate in these
workshops, providing detailed information, tools and training to
small-property owners, code and building officials, as well as
architects.
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The National Preservation awards are bestowed on distinguished
individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies and
corporations whose skill and determination have given new meaning to
their communities through preservation of our architectural and
cultural heritage. These efforts include citizen attempts to save
and maintain important landmarks; companies and craftsmen whose work
restores the richness of the past; the vision of public officials
who support preservation projects and legislation in their
communities; and educators and journalists who help Americans
understand the value of preservation.
For more information and pictures of the 2007 National
Preservation Award winners, visit
www.nationaltrust.org/preservation_awards/.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private,
nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting the
irreplaceable. Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the trust
was founded in 1949 and provides leadership, education, advocacy and
resources to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize
communities. Its Washington, D.C., headquarters staff, six regional
offices and 28 historic sites work with the trust's 270,000 members
and thousands of local community groups in all 50 states. For more
information, visit
www.nationaltrust.org.
[Text from
National Trust for Historic
Preservation file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
