Would a national historic designation help Downtown?

[thelakelander]

By Max Marbut, Staff Writer

Nine months after first discussions about Downtown being designated a national historic district, there's progress toward determining what it would take to happen and what it could look like.
Landscape architect Chris Flagg was hired by the city to work with Patricia Davenport, an Environmental Services Inc. consultant, to survey and catalog Downtown's older real estate. Or, as Flagg says, "identifying a relevant historic district."

Flagg, a former chairman of the Downtown Development Review Board, was paid $28,500.

Downtown, Brooklyn, LaVilla, the Southbank and Talleyrand were surveyed two weeks ago, with the results showing 422 structures as potentially historic. Downtown led the list with 226, Brooklyn was next with 103, followed by Talleyrand (37), the Southbank (35) and LaVilla (21).

Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=544487

[whyisjohngalt]

How many total structures are in Brooklyn and couldn't the same sights be potentially futuristic?

[Marle Brando]

Im pretty sure there are ways to make the old blend in with the new, conserving and restoring as much history as feasibly possible. But talk about feasibility! $28,500 bucks JUST to catalog buildings on a nice stroll through downtown?? Man i'm definitely in the wrong business

[mbwright]

I would hope that it would help, but it certainly has not saved Springfield or other parts of town from destruction by neglect, Kim Scott, or other means.

[urbanlibertarian]

Would regulation of new construction and improvements to existing structures be the same as in SPR and RA?

[Tacachale]

^I can't imagine that would be the case. Those kind of things are (theoretically) handled by general downtown code and the DDRB.

[urbanlibertarian]

^Right.  Until you have a historic district overlay that trumps the previous overlay.

[Thad Crowe]

I think National Register carries more intangible oomph - feeling of "buzz" or something. And individual buildings can be registered for rehab tax credits or abatement, but that is legwork, so if that time savings is an incentive. And I haven't seen Chris Flagg for years but wow is he a talented guy, they might just get their money's worth out of him.