State Historic Preservation Office Awards Historic Preservation Grants to Seven Michigan Communities

LANSING, Mich. – The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has awarded $250,000 in grants to seven Michigan communities, the Michigan Strategic Fund announced today. The grants represent awards from the federal Historic Preservation Fund (HPF)-Certified Local Government (CLG) program administered by SHPO and will benefit local preservation and community planning goals in Charlevoix, Coldwater, Detroit, Flat Rock, Holland, Livonia, and Washtenaw County.

“For more than forty years, the CLG program has helped create partnerships that support communities in their efforts to plan for, invest in, and tell the story of their irreplaceable heritage assets,” said State Historic Preservation Officer Ryan M. Schumaker. “This year’s awards continue to build on that tradition, and SHPO looks forward to working collaboratively with these recipients to support important local efforts.”

The CLG program is a partnership among local, state, and national governments focused on promoting historic preservation at the local level. The National Park Service administers the program in coordination with SHPO. Participation in the program, which is open to any community willing to meet basic program requirements, makes a community eligible for specialized technical assistance and programming from SHPO.

Participation in the CLG program also makes a community eligible for annual grants provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior and administered by SHPO. These grants may be used for a variety of preservation activities, such as historic resource surveys, National Register of Historic Places nominations, educational and heritage tourism initiatives, pre-development plans and studies, and rehabilitation of certain historic properties.

This year’s grant recipients include:

City of Charlevoix

• The City of Charlevoix is receiving a grant to rehabilitate Charlevoix City Hall, constructed in 1939 by the Public Works Administration and located in the National Register-eligible Charlevoix Central Historic District. The grant will be used to replace the roof of the building. This will help address ongoing moisture issues and allow the City to move forward with phased preservation efforts for the rest of the building.

City of Coldwater

• The City of Coldwater, in partnership with the Coldwater Community Center, Inc., is receiving funding to hire a contractor to complete a comprehensive structural engineering analysis of the Beech House, which will be used as a community center following rehabilitation. Much work has been completed by the City of Coldwater and volunteers, and the structural analysis will provide a pathway for continued efforts that move the building to the next phase of rehabilitation.

City of Detroit

• The City of Detroit is receiving funding to hire a contractor to digitize historic building survey documentation that will facilitate the Historic Designation Advisory Board’s ability to encourage informed decision-making as part of future city planning efforts, assist property owners, and provide timely information to other city departments and boards, including the City of Detroit Historic District Commission.

City of Flat Rock

• The City of Flat Rock’s funding will be used to contract with the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) to host a Commission Assistance and Mentoring Program (CAMP) training for City of Flat Rock staff and historic district commissioners, as well as interested parties in other downriver communities. This training will boost local preservation expertise and support self-sufficiency in decision-making.

City of Holland

• The City of Holland, in partnership with the Holland Museum, will hire a contractor to replace a failing roof at the Holland Museum, which will eliminate water incursion and help secure the building shell. This will complement the larger, ongoing project being undertaken by the City and the Museum to rehabilitate the 1914-built former post office building, including stabilizing and repairing the exterior masonry wall, which will ensure the building continues to serve the community for the long term.

City of Livonia

• The City of Livonia is receiving a grant to hire a qualified contractor to develop design documents and plans for the South Barn at Greenmead Historical Park, the South Barn being part of the original Simmons Farm, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. These documents will allow the City to move forward with stabilizing the large former dairy barn structure as part of the site’s master plan so that the building can be adaptively reused for public education and programming.

Washtenaw County

• Washtenaw County, in partnership with the Dexter Area Historical Society (DAHS), will use the funding to hire a contractor to undertake rehabilitation activities at Gordon Hall, listed in the National Register. Specifically, structural improvements and repairs will be made to the foundation and basement, which will allow the DAHS to move forward with planned rehabilitation of the upper levels in accordance with a rehabilitation master plan completed in 2011.

 

CLG grants are awarded annually on a competitive basis. Eligible applicants include Michigan's 42 CLG communities, which may partner with a non-profit organization or other public entity. SHPO welcomes innovative proposals that promote historic preservation. For more information on the CLG program and funding opportunities, visit http://www.michigan.gov/CLGgrants.

 

Federal Credit

This material was produced with assistance from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior under Grant Number P24AF01195. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties.  Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in its federally assisted programs. Michigan law prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, marital status, or disability.  If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to:

Chief, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
1849 C Street, NW, MS-2740
Washington, DC 20240

About the State Historic Preservation Office
Focused on the historic preservation of culturally or archaeologically significant sites throughout the state, Michigan's State Historic Preservation Office’s main function is to provide technical assistance to local communities and property owners in their efforts to identify, evaluate, designate, interpret and protect Michigan’s historic above- and below-ground resources. SHPO also administers an incentives program that includes state and federal tax credits and pass-through grants available to Certified Local Governments.

To learn more about the State Historic Preservation Office and the Certified Local Government program, visit https://www.miplace.org/historic-preservation/.

  

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