Economic power of historic preservation focus of seminar

Historic preservation isn’t merely a quest for little old ladies in tennis shoes. It packs economic punch.

That economic power will be the focus of a daylong seminar May 15. Featured speaker is Donovan D. Rypkema, Washington,
D.C., author and consultant in real estate, economic development and rehabilitation of historic structures.

By PAULA WILMOT
Tribune Staff Writer

His talks are full of facts about how historic preservation helps discourage sprawl and boosts tourism, growth and neighborhood
revitalization, said Ellen Sievert, local historic preservation officer.

It’s also money in the pocket for those who qualify for a 25 percent investment tax credit on their rehabilitation projects, she added.
Financial incentives will be discussed in detail.

Sponsored by the City-County Planning Office, state, city and county historic preservation offices, the Business Improvement District
and the Downtown Great Falls Association, the seminar will offer ideas applicable to Great Falls and Cascade County, Sievert said.

Walt Dudra, a downtown businessman and property owner since 1949, was the first to sign up. Dudra owns the Metropolitan
Building on Central Avenue, next to the former Beckman Building. He said he has been a preservation advocate for a long time and
expects the seminar to offer some worthwhile and practical ideas.

Also attending the session are a number representatives from the preservation commission in Helena.

Rypkema will talk about the economic power of preservation in the morning, then devote the afternoon to an in-depth look at
preservation tax credits and other financial incentives for rehabilitating historic buildings.

He’ll make a case for historic preservation as a catalyst for economic development on several fronts: Renovations, which tend to be
labor-intensive, are good for the economy from the get-go, he said. And preserved structures encourage heritage tourism, which
results in longer stays by visitors and more tourist dollars spent.

Preserving historic buildings tends to be good for small business incubation, too, Rypkema said. Smaller quarters with lower rents are
more affordable for new small businesses, he said, pointing to studies that show that 70 percent of hi-tech businesses have 10 or
fewer employees and therefore require less space to function.

At 10:15 a.m., Rypkema also will moderate a panel on the "nuts and bolts" of rehabilitation. Panelists will include John Mitterholzer of
Denver, a representative of the Mountain Plains Region of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Herbert Dawson of
Helena, deputy state historic preservation officer and historical architect.

Local panelists are City Manager John Lawton; Gregory Madson, executive director of the downtown Business Improvement
District; Nancy O’Brien, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services; Kenneth Sievert, principal with Davidson Kuhr
Architects and historical architect for the Montana Heritage Commission, and Dick Anderson, a contractor who worked on the
Montana State Capitol restoration.

Luncheon programs will feature the Beautification Action Group and presentation of the 2002 Great Falls-Cascade County historic
preservation awards.

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