Perspectives Header
  Kerri Broome, editor
August 2013  

CRS logo 40th Anniversary Logo
In This Issue
Senate Finance Committee may Eliminate Historic Tax Credits
Annual Report on Impact of Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit Released
CRS's Mad about Mod Benefit to be Held September 14
Demolitions Without Section 106 Review
Euclid Avenue Church of God Update
Round 11 of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Coming Soon
Ohio & Erie Canalway Renewal Legislation Introduced
2013-2014 CRS Board Elected
2013-2014 AmeriCorps Application Available
How Do You Define Cleveland's Architecture?
Commemorate Perry's Victory with Early Settlers Association
New Exhibit about the 1950s at Ohio History Center
Rent the Sarah Benedict House
More About CRS

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Meeting with Senator Portman_July 2013

Senate Finance Committee may Eliminate Historic Tax Credits

The Federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) is facing its most serious threat to date. Tax reform is forcing an examination of all government expenditures and sources of revenue, including tax expenditures such as tax credits and deductions. Members of Congress have proposed eliminating the HTC and other tax preferences to balance the budget. Retention of the HTC may rest upon the number of Senators that indicate the program as a priority in the face of leaders of the Senate Finance Committee seeking a "blank slate." Advocacy in favor of the credit is paramount and proponents like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and its partners, like Heritage Ohio and the Cleveland Restoration Society, have been working to make the case for the HTC with legislators. In July, CRS President Kathleen Crowther went to Washington, DC to meet personally with Senator Rob Portman (pictured above),  and the staffs of Senator Sherrod Brown, Representative Marcia Fudge, and Representative Marcy Kaptur. In Cleveland, our community has significantly benefited from the federal historic tax credit. It is essential to the economic viability of rehabilitating our city's older, well-built magnificent structures. Learn more here about how you can take action, too.

   

 

Rutgers HTC Report Cover

Annual Report on Impact of  

Federal Tax Credit Released

Rutgers University's Annual Report on the Economic Impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credit for FY12 has been published. The report analyzes the economic impact of the HTC program since its inception, and concludes that it is a highly efficient job creator and underscores the need for additional legislation to strengthen the federal credits. The study was conducted by researchers at the university's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, in collaboration with the National Park Service. Click here for the full report and here for an information sheet and talking points.

 

 

ASM lobby

Are you Mad about Mod?

If the building on the cover of the Rutgers report looks familiar, it should. It's the ASM Headquarters, located just outside of Chagrin Falls. Recently rehabilitated by The Chesler Group, Inc, this complex was the winner of one of CRS's preservation awards in 2012 and garnered a National Preservation Award later that same year. It is one of the country's most celebrated mid-century modern structures - and it's right in our own backyard! You can see it for yourself on Saturday, September 14, when CRS hosts our 2013 benefit, "Mad about Mod"! Circle this date in red on your calendars and make plans now to join us. It's going to be an unforgettable night under Bucky Fuller's geodesic dome, and you will want to be a part of the action! If you would rather leave the driving to us, reserve your spot now on one of our comfortable motorcoaches, which will whisk you away to the action from pre-arranged locations, one in Cleveland Heights and one in Lakewood, and bring you back at the end of the evening. Don't miss this singular opportunity to see the best of modern architectural thought and expression. Click here for more Mad about Mod info! Click here to RSVP. 

 

 

Demolitions Without Section 106 Review

Preservation Action has reported on the Hardest Hit Fund, a program aimed at helping Americans struggling through the housing crisis, which may be used for demolition of "blighted" structures. As a federally funded program, the assumption is that after these funds are used there would need to be a Section 106 review process or programmatic agreement involving State Historic Preservation Offices. The Department of the Treasury is poised to issue a ruling in favor of the State of Michigan that will open the door for this disconcerting allocation of funding, skirting around Section 106 or SHPO review of demolitions. In their estimation the Hardest Hit Fund is an investment, not typical government spending, and thus the state can use these funds to demolish historic structures without triggering Section 106 review. On the coattails of these developments, Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) has introduced a similar bill that would allow the State of Ohio to do the same. We will keep you updated.

 

 

 

Euclid Avenue COG being demolished 

Euclid Avenue  

Church of God Update

We have been sad to watch the destruction of the Euclid Avenue Church of God at 8601 Euclid Avenue over the last several weeks. As you may know, CRS has been involved in a protracted battle over this landmark over the last year and a half, speaking at landmarks and at the board of zoning appeals against the demolition permit requested by the congregation. The demolition was finally approved by the Cleveland Landmarks Commission on February 14, 2013, with the condition that the building be documented and that landscape and salvage plans are submitted. The Memorandum of Agreement between the Euclid Avenue Church of God and the Landmarks Commission was ratified by the Commission on June 27. CRS had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the congregation and the Cleveland Clinic, which is buying the lot, about mitigation. CRS Honorary Life Trustee Ted Sande, AIA Emeritus, is developing the history and documentation of the building. We are glad to know that the significant window from the building has been crated and removed to safe storage until its final disposition is determined. The church was designed by Sydney Badgley as The Reformed Episcopal Church of the Epiphany and constructed in 1889 as a break-off of Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

 

 

Round 11 of State Historic Preservation  

Tax Credit Coming Soon

The Ohio Development Services Agency is finalizing the Round 11 application for release by mid-August. Applications will be due no later than Monday, September 30, 2013. If you are interested in discussing a potential project or would like more information about the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program, you should contact Nathaniel Kaelin in the Office of Redevelopment at [email protected] or 614-995-2292.

 

 

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Ohio & Erie Canalway  

Renewal Legislation Introduced

Last month, Senator Sherrod Brown introduced a bill to renew the National Heritage Area designation of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Corridor for an additional ten years. The designation, which would expire in September, distinguishes the canalway as a historic landmark and makes it eligible to receive federal funding. Authorized as a National Heritage Area (NHA) in 1996, the Ohio & Erie Canalway stretches 110 miles between Cleveland and New Philadelphia. The canalway was originally built in the 1820s and 1830s and adds significant economic and historic value to Ohio. It attracts more than 2.5 million tourists per year and has leveraged almost $350 million since 1996 in private, local, state, and federal investments, including $85 million from the Towpath Trail alone. To support the passing of this bill, you can contact Senator Brown's office at 1-888-896-OHIO (6446) or by emailPhoto (c) Sara Guren

 

       

small tile

News from the Sarah Benedict House

At the Cleveland Restoration Society's annual membership meeting on Tuesday, July 16, a new slate of trustees were approved for 2013-2014.  Nine new trustees joined the board following a vote by members present at the meeting.  Our new trustees are Michael Baruschke, Renee Beaver, Hannah Belsito, Richard Cline, Susan Delaney, Scott Holbrook, Dana Noel, Emily Sullivan, and Robert Weeks.  We are delighted to welcome them to CRS's board of trustees.  We would also like to thank Analia Dimit and Michael Swearengen for their service as trustees.

 

Ohio History Service Corps logo 2013-2014 AmeriCorps  

Application Now Available

Looking for job candidates for the AmeriCorps Ohio History Service Program! You can work right here at the Cleveland Restoration Society as either a Community Surveyor or a Local History Corps Member.  Help CRS with its exciting work to survey and discover more Cleveland landmarks! We are a city with a rich heritage that we use as the launch pad for economic development. You can help us locate it and preserve it! We are also looking for a Local History Service Corps Member to deepen our capacity in offering educational programs and assisting us with a regional conference involving other Legacy Cities in 2014. Become a part of this exciting work by providing your expertise and time to a worthwhile activity! Click these links to see the position descriptions for the Community Surveyor or the Local History Corps Member.

 

 

   

Imagine Factory

Voice Your Definition of the Language of Cleveland's Architecture

How do you define the architectural language of Cleveland? Join in the discussion, taking place at the City Beautiful studio in the 5th Street Arcades, 530 Euclid Avenue #41, on Thursday, August 29, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.! Very distinctive images come to mind when a city like Paris is mentioned. One may think of the Eiffel Tower, gargoyles, mansard roofs, sidewalk cafes, and of terms like gothic, art nouveau and beaux-arts. What do you think defines "place" in Cleveland? What works? What doesn't? How do we most effectively build upon Cleveland's good bones and heritage? What makes us unique, and how do we harness those attributes? When you arrive on the 29th, a guest speaker (TBA) will lead a conversation about some of the design issues facing our city, possible solutions to said challenges, and we can imagine what Cleveland has the potential to become! Light drinks and snacks will be provided. Click here for more information. 

 

 

 

Perry's Monument

Commemorate Perry's Victory  

with the Early Settlers Association

The Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve is planning a day-long trip to Put-in-Bay to commemorate Oliver Hazard Perry's victory in the Battle of Lake Erie. The day trip will be held on Tuesday, September 10, marking exactly two hundred years to the day after Perry's victory. Highlights of the tour are expected to be a bicentennial commemoration at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memory, and opportunity to see (an possibly tour) the U.S. Brig Niagara, time at the visitors' center, parade, bands, a flyover, and battle re-enactors. The tour bus will depart from Beachwood Place at 7:30 a.m., stop at Westlake to pick up more tour attendees, and then head to Catawba for the ferry boat. At the end of the day, the bus will drop off at the original point of departure.  Reservations are required.  The cost per person is $70 for members of the Early Settlers Association and $80 for non-members. For more information contact Ruth Bertrand at 440-899-1565 or [email protected] 

 

 

Lustron advertisement

New Exhibit All About the 1950s  

and Lustron

Experience life in the 1950s by putting your feet up on the couch, playing a record, peeking in drawers, and rolling in the grass in a full-size prefabricated Lustron home built inside the museum at the Ohio History Center, at the recently opened exhibit "About 1950s: Building the American Dream". Expect to see items like a 1957 Chevy Bellaire, an Airstream trailer, Roy Rogers toys and decorations, a bomb shelter hatch, 1950s television news and programs, and a combination clothes and dishwasher! Stop by at the right time and you may get to meet a Lustron salesperson on the front lawn, a doctor making a house call, or a mother making a cake in the kitchen. The exhibit will be on display at the Ohio History Center, located at 800 E. 17th Avenue in Columbus, until 2018. Admission is free for Ohio Historical Society members and children under 6. Hours vary. Visit www.ohiohistory.org/ohc for more information and directions to the history center.

 

 

 

garden party

Rent the Sarah Benedict House

for Your Event 

Are you looking for a unique venue for your next special event or business meeting?  Consider the historic Sarah Benedict House, located in the heart of Cleveland's MidTown neighborhood at 3751 Prospect Avenue.  Built in 1883, the house is fully restored and rehabilitated and offers four accessible rooms on its first floor, two restrooms, a catering kitchen, and a beautiful garden. There is plenty of free parking. Click here for more information.       

 

 

 

Events

Upcoming Events    

    

August 10

Tour Du Towpath

Begins at Canal Fulton Canalway Visitor's Center

Registration required online or by calling 330-374-5657

Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition

 

August 12

"Dollars and Sense of Building Rehabilitation" Workshop

Athens, Ohio

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., registration required, $

Heritage Ohio

 

August 18

Euclid Creek village Deep History Walking Tour

Begins at the Euclid municipal parking lot, 21000 North St., Euclid

5:00 - 6:30 p.m., rain or shine

City of Euclid Recreation Department

Euclid History Museum

 

August 22

Webinar: "How to Qualify and Apply for the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit and the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit"

10:00 a.m. - Noon, registration required, $

Ohio Historic Preservation Office

 

August 23

PechaKucha Night Cleveland, Volume 19

West 24th Street, Cleveland

"Doors" and bars open at 7:00 p.m., presentations begin at 8:30 p.m., RSVP here, FREE

PechaKucha Night Cleveland

 

August 29

Imagine Factory: Defining Cleveland's Architectural Language

City Beautiful studio, 5th Street Arcades, 530 Euclid Avenue #41, Cleveland

6:30 - 8:30 p.m., register here,  FREE

City Beautiful

 

 

 

Save the Date    

 

September 7

SNOOP! of Doan Classroom Apartments

1350 E. 105th Street, Cleveland

10:00 a.m., registration required, FREE for CRS members

Cleveland Restoration Society

 

September 10

Day Trip to Put-in-Bay

$70 for ESA members, $80 for non-members, registration required by calling 440-899-1565 or by email to [email protected] 

Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve

 

September 11

"Fostering Good Design in Public Space"

Part of the Main Street Revitalization Series

Norwalk High School Art Gallery, 350 Shady Lane, Norwalk

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., registration required, $$

Heritage Ohio

 

September 14

"Mad about Mod" Benefit

ASM International Headquarters, 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park (Novelty)

5:30 - 9:30 p.m., RSVP required, email or call 216-426-3110, $$$  

Cleveland Restoration Society

 

September 21 - 22

Heights Heritage Home & Garden Tour

Preview party on Saturday, home tour on Sunday

Tickets are on sale now

Heights Community Congress 

 

 

Cleveland Restoration Society
3751 Prospect Avenue

Cleveland, OH  44115

(216) 426-1000

www.clevelandrestoration.org