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Seven to Save
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Buffalo's
Allentown, Hamlin Park and West Village Neighborhoods Named to
The announcement was made today by Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of New York State, at a press conference held at the New Phoenix Theatre in Buffalo’s West Village Historic District. He was joined by Assemblyman Sam Hoyt and Jim Landau and Dennis Galucki of the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier. Buffalo’s Allentown, Hamlin Park, and West Village Historic Districts represent an extraordinary range of architectural styles and types, and illustrate the diverse inventory of urban residential housing stock for which Buffalo is noted. Unfortunately, they also illustrate the range of threats facing historic neighborhoods throughout New York State, from abandonment, to demolition, to a slow erosion of integrity. “Neighborhoods are the bedrock of communities like Buffalo. They provide diversity of people and architecture, and create a sense of stability and community pride that is difficult to duplicate,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of New York State. “To encourage reinvestment and home ownership in neighborhoods like Allentown, Hamlin Park, and West Village, we want to provide an incentive to taxpayers who rehabilitate their historic homes. We are calling on the New York State Legislature to provide a personal income tax credit of up to $50,000 per structure for the rehabilitation of qualified, owner-occupied, historic residential buildings.” The Historic Home Rehabilitation Tax Credit would primarily benefit homeowners in low and moderate-income neighborhoods. More than 44,000 homes would be eligible for the program across the state, including some 3,300 properties in Western New York. In the Allentown, Hamlin Park and West Village Historic Districts, over 630 homes would be eligible. “These are not grand mansions, but good solid homes that could use some repairs and rehabilitation,” said Jim Landau, Preservation Communications Coordinator of the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier. “Those repairs become much more feasible to homeowners on a tight budget when, for each dollar they spend, they receive a dollar-for-dollar reduction of state income tax owed equal to 15 or 25 percent of the cost of rehabilitation.” “Today marks an important day for the preservation community in Buffalo,” said Dennis Galucki, Executive Director of the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier. Tax credits to spur the revitalization of historic homes and neighborhoods have been under consideration by the New York State Legislature for several years. Governor Pataki included a targeted version of this program for distressed neighborhoods in the 2006-07 Executive Budget proposal. The New York State Senate passed a broader version of the tax credit in 2002, and again in 2004. In the 2006 Legislative Session, the tax credit bill is A.8252 Canestrari / S.3794-A Leibell. “In our harsh winter weather, each year of deferred maintenance leads to significant additional deterioration,” said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt (D- Buffalo, Grand Island). “A preservation tax credit for homeowners would help them take better care of their homes, and ultimately, protect our older and more affordable housing.” According to Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, “Twenty-one other states provide tax credit assistance for homeowners who rehabilitate their historic residential structures. Studies show that rehabilitation spending helps to reinvigorate neighborhoods, stimulate construction activity, and create local jobs. It’s time for Buffalo, and the rest of New York State, to help our homeowners profit through preservation.” Other Seven to Save designees for 2006 are the 1939 George Harvey Office Building in Binghamton; two 19th century residences in Utica’s historic Rutger Park; original wood sash windows (statewide); the Hamlet of Sherwood in Cayuga County; the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn; and the historic hop kilns of Central New York. More information and photographs of previous Seven to Save designees can be found online at www.preservenys.org. Since 1999, publicity surrounding the Seven to Save designation has led to the stabilization of St. Joseph’s Church in Albany; the rehabilitation of the Oswego City Public Library, the adaptive re-use of the former Niagara Falls High School as a cultural and arts center, and prevented the demolition of the Conger Goodyear House on Long Island. The Preservation League of New York State, founded in 1974, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection of New York’s diverse and rich heritage of historic buildings, districts and landscapes. From its headquarters in Albany, it provides a unified voice for historic preservation. By leading a statewide movement and sharing information and expertise, the Preservation League of New York State promotes historic preservation as a tool to revitalize the Empire State’s neighborhoods and communities.
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