Strengthening Communities through Historic Preservation: The Washington State Historic Preservation Plan, 2004

Betsy Czark & Associates; Groupsmith

Executive summary: "Historic preservation is a powerful tool that strengthens communities. By preserving a community’s cultural and historic resources, citizens are engaged to draw upon past experiences in order to shape the future. This message is the foremost theme in the revised statewide historic preservation plan, a document that is required of the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) as a result of federal preservation legislation and policies. Titled Strengthening Communities through Historic Preservation, the state historic preservation plan highlights preservation’s potential for economic development and community revitalization. Historic preservation is a proven economic generator serving to revitalize communities and promote sustainable development. In addition to economic benefits, preservation brings an added dimension to a community’s quality of life. Historic Preservation Strengthens Communities by: 1. Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings. Adaptive reuse of buildings – that is, reusing historic buildings to host different functions– is fundamental to realizing historic preservation’s potential as an economic development and revitalization strategy. Rehabilitation of historic buildings: Generates more jobs and tax revenue than new construction. Is sustainable development. It recycles existing resources, lessens energy demands, and reduces the material stream to landfills. Promotes sound community growth patterns by revitalizing existing neighborhoods. Bridges a community’s past, present, and future by conveying continuity and context. 2. Heritage Tourism. Paradoxically, it is the intangible benefits of historic preservation – a sense of place, community pride, and a culturally and visually rich environment – that makes possible one of its most significant tangible benefits: heritage tourism. Heritage tourism: Creates jobs and increases economic activity. Revitalizes downtowns and neighborhoods. Uses existing community assets." Funding was provided in part by a 2004 Historic Preservation Fund grant administered by the Washington State Historic Preservation Office (project number WA-04-026, grant number 53-04-19350) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Strengthening Communities through Historic Preservation: The Washington State Historic Preservation Plan, 2004

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