Pennsylvania is among the top three states that have taken advantage of the federal tax credit for historic preservation. At the same time, however, Pennsylvania is one of the few states that doesn’t have a historic preservation program of its own.
That could soon change, as the State House of Representatives passed House Bill 42, the Historic Preservation Incentive Program, by a resounding vote of 193-2.
“House Bill 42 is going to be a real cornerstone for the revitalization of our older towns and cities, anywhere from DuBois to Altoona to Wellsboro to Philadelphia, this can create jobs in towns and make those towns more livable,” says Ed Boito, campaign director for Pennsylvania Works!, a coalition of environmental, conservation, preservation, housing and research groups that work to create public policy that stimulates economic development throughout the state.
Restoration, Boito contends, employs 2.5 times more workers than new construction, and will make downtowns more livable, reducing demand for suburban sprawl.
The bill has passed in the House in four consecutive legislative sessions, but stalled in Senate because of questions over how the program would be funded. As it stands, the legislation passed earlier this month would be paid for from the state’s Environmental Stewardship Fund.
The bill provides grants of up to $15,000 for exterior rehabilitation of historic residences, state tax credits of up to $500,000 for rehabilitation of historic commercial properties and priority given to properties located in Main Street, Elm Street, Enterprise Zones and Historic Districts.
Boito pointed to a similar program in Virginia that attracted a three-to-one investment match from the private sector.
“If you get one critical building in a small downtown area, that can be the impetus for a revitalization of a whole town,” Boito says. “Johnstown is getting lots of money to revitalize its downtown, and I think historic structures could be a very big part of that.”
Source: Ed Boito, Pennsylvania Works!
Writer: Joe Petrucci