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Pair Of Historic District Tax Credit Workshops Planned Thursday

The federal and state historic district tax credit programs can be combined to cover 40 percent of the costs for qualified rehabilitation projects.

For more information about federal and state historic district tax credits, there will be two workshops held in Jamestown Thursday. One workshop will focus on commercial properties and be held from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the Wright Conference Room on the second floor of the Reg Lenna Center For The Arts, 116 E. Third St. This workshop will be hosted by Julian Adams, state Historic Preservation office tax credit director, and Jason Yots, Preservation Studios principal/chief executive officer.

The second workshop will be for residential homeowners and will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Christ First United Methodist church, 663 Lakeview Ave.

This workshop will be hosted by Sloane Bullough, state Historic Preservation office specialist, and Jennifer Walkowski, state Historic Preservation office specialist.

The two workshops follow the announcement last December that Lakeview Avenue was added to the state Register of Historic Places. It was the first residential neighborhood in Jamestown to be added to the list.

This was the second district added to the state list in the city. In 2014, the state added the downtown Jamestown Historic District to their preservation list. The downtown district was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. Kristy Kathman, Jamestown Renaissance Corporation interim executive director, said Lakeview Avenue is expected to be added to the National Register of Historic Places sometime this summer.

Kathman said those who attend the commercial building workshop will learn about the basics of the federal and state tax credit programs.

”(They will also learn about) what buildings are eligible for the credits; design guidelines and treatments for historic buildings; how to submit an application to the NYS Division for Historic Preservation; what is and how to use tax credits; and how to finance a ‘historic’ deal.”

Those who attended the residential homeowner workshop will learn what buildings and neighborhoods are eligible for the tax credit, Kathman said.

”(They will also learn about) the work that qualifies for the homeowner credit; the guidelines for making repairs to your historic home; how to submit an application to the NYS Division for Historic Preservation; how to use the credit on a multifamily building; and local resources that can assist you with your project.”

Kathman said if someone is interested in finding out whether their house or building is in either the Lakeview or the Downtown Jamestown historic districts, they can call Larry Moss, state Historic Preservation office specialist, at 518-268 – 2187.

In October, Walkowski hosted a public meeting on the Lakeview Avenue historic district. She said the designation will not restrict what homeowners and commercial businesses can do to renovate their property. She said the state won’t be reviewing all renovation projects and there will be no state preservation board overseeing development work. She added the only state oversight will be done if the property owner wants to receive income tax credits for their renovation project.

Walkowski said there are two programs to be eligible for tax credits for rehabilitation projects. One is for residential homeowners and one is for commercially owned property, which is anything income producing like a rental property.

For the residential program, property owners will only be eligible to receive state historic tax credits for their projects. For commercial properties, owners are eligible to receive both state and federal tax credits. Tax credits for each state and federal program is 20 percent. For commercial projects eligible for both state and federal tax credits, property owners could receive up to 40 percent in income tax credits for rehabilitation projects.

Walkowski said it is a three-step process for both the residential and commercial programs. Step one is to submit an application, which will be reviewed by state officials to make sure the property is historic or in a historic district. Step two is for the property owner to list what they would like to improve and send before photos. Step three is for the owner to send in the after photos to prove they did the renovation work approved by the state. At this point, the owner will receive their income tax credits for the project.

For residential projects, Walkowski said there is a list of eligible projects like HVAC improvements, new roofs and porch renovations. She said the renovation project has to be for at least $5,000 and 5 percent of the rehabilitation cost have to be to the exterior of the building. She added homeowners can do more than one renovation project eligible for tax credits.

For more information about the state historic preservation program, visit nysparks.com/shpo/tax-credit-programs.

The RSVP deadline for the workshops is Monday. To RSVP, call Mary Maxwell, Jamestown Renaissance Corporation neighborhood project associate, at 664-2477, ext. 224.

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