RESIDENTIAL AND NON-RESIDENTIAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION NEEDS

St. Louis is rich in historic buildings and sites. During the golden age of American architecture, St. Louis was a prosperous mercantile center, and that prosperity spurred the construction of magnificent commercial structures such as the Wainwright Building, a national historic landmark, or the St. Louis Art Museum, a city landmark; revival style residences such as those on the private streets of the Central West End, listed both as National Register and Local Historic Districts; and federal style working class neighborhoods such as Old North St.Louis, a pre-Civil War National register and soon to be local historic district, and Hyde Park listed both on the National Register and as a local historic district. Many of these structures and neighborhoods are still intact, making more than 60% of the St.Louis built environment eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

Preserving the historic resources of St. Louis is essential, not only because of its importance to the City's common history and community pride, but also because the cost of removal of so many structures is unrealistic. The city has little choice but to work with the environment it has inherited, and turn it into the asset it can be, as many other historic communities around the country have done. It is clear that properly preserved historic districts can aid in economic revitalization of urban areas. However, the importance of preservation and reuse is often overlooked among the plethora of critical needs. Fortunately, St. Louis has a long history of using historic preservation as a developmental tool. During the 1980's the city led the country in the use of the investment tax credit for historic preservation.

Heritage and Urban Design Commission. This division of the St. Louis Department of Public Safety is administratively and financially supported by the Community Development Agency. It consist of a twelve member commission of citizens appointed by the mayor and a staff of architects and preservation professionals. The staff makes 80 percent of the 2500+ review decisions a year. These decisions are based upon standards approved by the Board of Aldermen. It administers design review activities for all construction in the City's fourteen historic districts (Table 46) and adjacent to the 116 landmark sites (Table 47). It reviews applications for new construction and signage in some commercial areas within the city. It also reviews all applications for demolition permits in order to locate and preserve significant resources, as well as to determine the appropriateness of the plan for the site after demolition.

By agreement among the Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the State Office on Historic Preservation, the staff also examines sites where federally funded construction, renovation, or demolition will occur to determine if the property is eligible for the National Register according to the rules of the Secretary of the Interior. The staff then works with developers and property owners to assure completion of their projects and the City's development goals. The staff and commission also publish informational brochures and gives slide shows and tours.

Landmarks Association of St. Louis, Inc. The Landmarks Association is primarily a survey and advocacy agency. The agency surveys subareas of the City under grants from the State Historic Preservation Office and the St. Louis Community Development Agency, and produces architectural survey maps and tour maps/brochures. The agency also conducts research on historic properties and nominates districts and sites to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Landmarks Associations board and staff conduct educational and informational programs and tours illustrating the significance of area properties and districts. Examples of such programs are the "What are Buildings Made of?" school partnership program and the "Eleven Most Endangered Buildings in St. Louis" listings. The annual "What are Buildings Made of?" program is designed to promote architectural heritage and provide heritage industry role models (architects, interior designers, art historians, etc.) to fourth through sixth graders throughout the area. The "Eleven Most Endangered Buildings" listings is designed to alert the public of the critical need for preservation of the city's historical assets.

Landmarks does not have a funding mechanism for financing historic property renovation; however, the agency helps secure financing for historic development projects. The agency also acts as a referral agency, making officials at the Community Development Agency and St. Louis Development Corporation aware of historic properties that have potential for future usage.

The cost of restoring the large number of existing historic properties is beyond the financial capacity of the city and local preservation agencies. The cost of restoration is typically 15 percent higher than the cost of stick-built new construction on virgin sites. Therefore, it is essential to encourage restoration of the passive investment aspect of the Investment Tax Credit for Historic Preservation. Special tax benefits and other subsidies, including grants and loans all needed to encourage rehabilitation. A cultural tourism program including 'interpretive trails' for various interest groups is still another way to promote both economic development and preservation of the City's heritage.

a) Develop a detailed computerized inventory of historic resources.

A computer based system would make information about historic properties more easily accessible and updatable to city and state agencies and the public. The system would allow properties to be listed building by building, and in multiple groupings. The system should also contain a historical record of listed properties, providing the potential developers with valuable information such as the environmental record of each site. Ideally the system should be characterized by images and maps, as well as text.

b) Develop a preservation plan.

As a Federally Certified Local Government, the City of St. Louis is required to have a preservation plan. This plan has been funded by the State Historic Preservation Office for the first year of a three year planning program. It will be developed by the staff of the Heritage and Urban Design Commission, with help from local community groups, the Landmarks Association, developers and community leaders.

c) Promote alternative means for protecting historic properties.

Saving buildings that do not have an economic function is a difficult task. Alternative sources of financing is a constant challenge. Tax incentives that were lost during the 1986 tax reform, need to be reenacted to encourage historic homeowners to renovate their properties.

d) Explore the educational and economic possibilities of historic properties.

Historic properties have played a significant role in the community. The community should be educated on the ways these properties can have a significant role in the City's economic future. Tourism should be used to capitalize on these assets.

Currently, only limited funds are available for historic preservation activity. Most funding comes from the federal government in the form of an entitlement program for State Historic offices to use for survey, administration and distribution of grants to Certified Local Governments (CLG). The entire State of Missouri CLG program was only given $150,000 in fiscal 1994. The CLG grants are very competitive. They are awarded as 50%-50% matching grants for personnel, planning or conferences. There is no money available for bricks and mortar. Other sources of funding include the National Trust for Historic Preservation which allocates limited funds for planning or feasibility studies. Grants are usually in the $1,000 to $2,500 range and must be matched locally. The National Endowment for the Arts also can make limited grants for planning or events such as conferences.

CDBG support can be used for historic preservation; however, use of these funds is counted against the Community Development Agency's administrative costs. CDBG and other federal housing programs encourage preservation through mandated 106 review that requires all properties eligible for listing on the National Register be rehabilitated according to the Secretary of the Interior's standard on Historic Preservation. In St. Louis, rehabilitation amounts to as much as 80 percent of the expenditures of housing funds. More than half of those funds are used to rehabilitate properly listed on, or eligible for, the National Register.

The Investment Tax Credit for Historic Preservation (ITC) is still the most useful tool in promoting preservation. The ITC is available only for entities rehabilitating income producing property, so that home owners cannot use it. It allows for a 20 percent direct deduction in income tax for a project that has gone through a complex certification process administered by the National Park Service. Since the passive investment component of the ITC was cancelled by Congress in 1986 the ITC has become much less popular.

Currently, the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, Inc. receives $68,500 in CDBG funding. Its total budget is $176,500. The Heritage and Urban Design Commission receives funding support for a small staff. These amounts are solely for administrative costs, not bricks and mortar.