Category: Economic Development (Page 2 of 5)

Homes along River Road, Beaver Borough. Photo by Clio Consulting, 2016.

Preservation Planning in Beaver Borough

January 12, 2022 / Bill Callahan / 2 Comments

Beaver is a lovely community located on the Ohio River bluffs nearly directly across the river from the Shell petrochemical plant. Beaver boasts a large National Register of Historic Places historic district (PA-SHARE Resource #1994RE00048) that consists of large, stately homes, vernacular residences, a thriving central business district bursting with historic character and a series of open spaces and parks that date to the community’s late 18^th century plan. Beaver is home to the National Historic Landmark Matthew S. Quay House (PA-SHARE Resource #1975RE00155) and the site of Ft. McIntosh, a late 18^th century American frontier fort, which is individually listed in the National Register (PA-SHARE Resource #1975RE00024).

Entrance, after rehabilitation. Project Photo, Heritage Consulting Group, 2021.

Rehabilitating Pittsburgh’s “First” Skyscraper with Historic Tax Credits

January 5, 2022 / smassey / 2 Comments

The Arrott Building, located at 401 Wood Street in Pittsburgh, PA, was designed by prominent Pittsburgh architect, Frederick J. Osterling in 1902 and is one of Pittsburgh’s first skyscrapers.

Artists rendering of rehabilitated Ohringer Building — Rendering of the Ohringer Arts building by Rothschild Doyno Collaborative.

Historic Tax Credits + Artists + Braddock = Preservation Success

July 7, 2021 / smassey / 1 Comment

There are great examples throughout Pennsylvania – and the country – of historic buildings being repurposed to support, house, and celebrate local and regional arts communities. Two specifically come to mind in Pennsylvania, the GoggleWorks in Reading, Berks County and the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County. The Ohringer Artist Residences in the former Ohringer Home Furniture store 640 Braddock Avenue in Braddock, Allegheny County can now be added to that list.

Designing for Distance in Pennsylvania’s Historic Communities

April 21, 2021 / Cory Kegerise / 0 Comments

To say that COVID-19 changed things about away we live our lives would be the understatement of the century. Virtually everything about the ways in which we live, work, learn, recreate, shop – everything – changed in an instant and we have spent the last 12+ months learning how to adapt, as individuals and communities. The pandemic has also prompted a lot of pondering and forecasting about the long term effects on our society and how many of these adaptations will become part of our “normal” lives going forward. In Pennsylvania’s traditional communities, the sudden loss of foot traffic, festivals, and events hit small businesses and restaurants especially hard. Revitalization organizations and local governments have had to reimagine, with little or no time or experience, how to allow people to use streets, sidewalks, parks, and trails in a safe and responsible manner. Enter Designing for Distance.

A New Year – Is a Keystone Grant Project A Resolution?

January 6, 2021 / Karen Arnold / 0 Comments

Happy New Year! As much as I would like to count 2021 as a fresh start and forget all about 2020, I first must share how impressed I am with the resilience of our museum and preservation community and its innovation to engage with the public at large.

2020 Blog in Review

December 30, 2020 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

In this crazy year, the PA SHPO’s blog is the one thing you could count on every week to bring you all sorts of current, relevant, fun and interesting information. I have actually won a trivia contest or two because of something I read in one of our weekly posts!

Here is a short recap of the year at pahistoricpreservation.com…

A New Life for Homestead’s Masonic Hall

December 2, 2020 / smassey / 0 Comments

Homestead’s Masonic Hall is an imposing – and impressive – stone building at the corner of E. 9th Avenue and McClure Street in Homestead, Allegheny County. This early 20th century property anchors the National Register-listed Homestead Historic District and is a local landmark.

With the help of state and federal historic tax credits, the formerly vacant and deteriorating Masonic Hall now provides unique housing and is once again contributes to the vibrant Homestead community.

#PreservationHappensHere thanks to the PA Historic Preservation Tax Credit

September 2, 2020 / Scott Doyle / 1 Comment

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PA DCED) recently announced that it has awarded $5 million in Pennsylvania historic preservation tax credits (PA HPTC) to 22 projects across the commonwealth through the FY 2019-2020 PA HPTC Allocation.

The application period for the next round opens October 1, 2020.

Support Preservation in Pennsylvania by being counted in the 2020 Census

August 19, 2020 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

No doubt about it – there is a lot going on this year. I don’t need to elaborate here about the many ways each and every one of us have had our lives turned around, upside down, or inside out over the last six months. Even the idea of just one more thing to do can topple us over like losing game of Jenga.

But this one more thing matters. A lot. It’s making sure to complete your 2020 census form – and encouraging your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same.

Why? Pennsylvania’s share of federal historic preservation funding is based, in part, on how many people live in the Commonwealth. If that population count is low because all Pennsylvanians aren’t counted, then there is less federal money for the commonwealth to preserve the older and historic places that matter to you and your community.