Also, the bulk of the work of the Irvington survey was performed by over 40 volunteers who expended literally several thousand hours on the process, which involved the taking of 6500 photographs and data entering information into a computer database for 2817 properties. The paid professionals that supported the effort primarily provided training for the volunteers and quality review of the results.

The take-away from this is that both money and lots of volunteer resources are required to make these projects happen. Seed money from the City would go a long way to encourage the neighborhoods to move forward with projects like this.

Sadly, I must say it’s a bit infuriating that the City planners primarily responsible for historic preservation issues are simply throwing up their hands and pleading a lack of money. Instead they should be laying out alternative proposals with estimated budgets for accomplishing an inventory so that the politicians will be forced to come to grips with the issue and the community can debate the merits of possible ways forward.

Although I am basically focusing on the downtown buildings, there are many issues associated with historic designation that ought to be part of the picture. E. g., the Three Kings sitting at the corner of SW 6th and SW Stark is empty at the street level (not sure about the area above) It receives a tax exemption, therefore does not pay full tax. There were years when property taxes were zero.

The cost of upgrading many of these buildings is often a deterrent to development because of the earthquake rehabilitation needed. This building too, like many, have high ceilings. That translates to high heating and air conditioning costs.

I don’t know the history of this building, but I would not be surprised if the former tenants are now in one the newer buildings further south. And, the square footage rate is not that much different from the ‘better’ locations.

Designating buildings as historic while not considering the “costs” of the designation and preservation is short sighted. The city doesn’t benefit from empty buildings.

Odd isn’t – that the newer building of today might well be the historic buildings of tomorrow.