City of El Dorado, Arkansas 2020 Historic Preservation Plan

From the Executive Summary: "El Dorado, Arkansas is a community transformed by historic preservation. A revitalized downtown, a bustling and growing arts and entertainment district, and vibrant historic neighborhoods are visible testaments to that transformation, made possible by the robust, longstanding stakeholder commitment to historic preservation as a method for enhancing local quality of life. El Dorado residents of all walks of life value and treasure their heritage - they provide a visible connection to the past and the means to reinvent buildings and places. With this in mind, and years of success behind them, the people of El Dorado desire a new preservation vision and action framework, one that addresses existing issues, explores preservation frontiers, and builds on local momentum and stakeholder support for preservation's continued transformational impact. To that end, in 2019, the City of El Dorado and its Historic District Commission applied for and received a Certified Local Government grant from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program to help underwrite the creation of the community's first Historic Preservation Plan. For many communities, a historic preservation plan is an important tool for understanding what buildings, places and landscapes merit preservation and stewardship, as well as how they play vital roles in generating reinvestment in traditional neighborhoods and commercial districts. Creating a preservation plan also provides the opportunity for engaging the broader community and connecting with residents and stakeholders to learn about their own preservation concerns and aspirations. The El Dorado Historic Preservation Plan summarizes El Dorado's past preservation successes, identifies current preservation needs and outlines the action initiatives to guide the community's historic preservation program over the next decade. Key elements of the Historic Preservation Plan focus on recognizing and designating a new generation of properties and places considered significant to El Dorado's heritage and visual character; promoting the continued revitalization of its downtown, spurring new forms of preservation initiatives in its older neighborhoods, and enhancing El Dorado's position as a regional heritage and cultural arts tourism destination. The Historic Preservation Plan serves the City of El Dorado, the Historic District Commission and its partner organizations and stakeholders as a guide for preservation action n the coming years." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Division of Arkansas Heritage, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (grant number P19AF00016).

City of El Dorado, Arkansas 2020 Historic Preservation Plan

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