This Advocacy Alert comes from Olmsted200. Through events, education, and advocacy at the local and national levels, Olmsted 200 ensures that Frederick Law Olmsted’s legacy lives on by renewing public and policy commitments to the preservation and maintenance of our historic parks and places.

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A Resolution to honor Frederick Law Olmsted's 200th birthday has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12) and Rep. French Hill (R-AR-2).

The National Association for Olmsted Parks and Olmsted 200's nine other founding partners are working hard in 2022 to advance the life, work, and legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted during the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Resolution 1013, introduced with bi-partisan support, acknowledges Olmsted’s immense contributions to the nation and provides an opportunity for legislators to come together to recognize and renew attention to Olmsted’s enduring legacy and his advocacy of parks for all people.

But we need your help! Please contact your Representative to become a sponsor. This is a time-sensitive matter. To find your Representative, click here or use ASLA's form letter here. To co-sponsor, please have your Representative reach out to Dylan Frost at dylan.frost@mail.house.gov with Rep. Hill or Kevin Rambosk at kevin.rambosk@mail.house.gov with Rep. Dingell.

Olmsted200 is also encouraging Representatives to introduce remarks into the Congressional Record for Olmsted's birthday on April 26. You can utilize their template proclamation, adding projects in your region or state. To identify local projects, go to OlmstedOnline.org and use the advance search feature. You can also find projects listed on Wikipedia.

This press release is cross-posted from parks.ny.gov.

Dan Keefe | Brian Nearing
(518) 486-1868 | news@parks.ny.gov

Registry to Showcase New York Businesses in Operation For At Least 50 Years

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation today announced the launch of the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry. First proposed by Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell and State Senator Jose M. Serrano, the online registry was established to honor and promote New York businesses that have been in operation for at least 50 years and have contributed to their communities' history. The first round of designations includes 100 businesses across the state.

"Many of our state's homegrown businesses have helped shape the character and identity of the communities that they call home," OPRHP Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. "From small bakeries owned by generations of the same family, and farms dating back to the 1700s, to manufacturers who ship products around the world, these homegrown businesses serve New Yorkers well. With the launch of the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry, we are excited to showcase the businesses, large and small, that are the backbone of our state's economy."

The honorary program, which provides educational and promotional assistance to help ensure businesses in the state remain viable, will be coordinated through the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). An interactive storyboard map, which provides information about the location and history of each business, can be found on the agency website https://parks.ny.gov/historic-preservation/business-registry/default.aspx

State Senator Jose M. Serrano said, "Congratulations to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on the commencement of the State Historic Business Registry. This program acknowledges and celebrates the cultural contributions that longstanding businesses provide to their communities, and showcases the local products that have been enjoyed for generations."

Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell said, "Historic businesses are more than just businesses, they are vital institutions that have shaped and celebrated the history, identity, and culture of the diverse communities they serve. From the delicatessens that have fed immigrant communities for over a hundred years, to the bars that provided safe havens for LGBTQ New Yorkers, to the timeless Hudson Valley inns that were visited by some of our country's founders, New York State has many businesses that serve as invaluable symbols of our pride and heritage. As many businesses face unprecedented challenges that threaten their ability to survive and serve their communities, this Registry is an exciting opportunity to recognize, support, and promote the contributions of historic businesses to our State."

Nominations to the registry must be sponsored by an elected state official. Each elected official may nominate two businesses for inclusion per term. The program is non-competitive, and as long as the nomination criteria are met, businesses will be added to the registry. Business owners will be presented with certificates by the sponsor of their nomination and given window decals with the program logo. Anyone interested in having a business added to the registry should reach out to their state representative.

This statement is cross-posted from our colleagues at the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. The statement was released in response to calls to close locks on the canal system to prevent the spread of the invasive Round goby. The League agrees with their sentiment that, “Commercial and recreational navigation and invasive species mitigation can co-exist if all the stakeholders are willing to engage in open dialogue and seek long-term solutions.” Click here for a PDF.

A recent campaign to “Close one lock to save Lake Champlain from invasive fish” calls attention to environmental threats posed by the Round goby should it reach Lake Champlain via the Hudson River and Champlain Canal. However, the simple proposal put forth is wholly inadequate for managing a complex international waterway with multiple users and stakeholders.

Closing “just one lock” on the Champlain Canal or “one guard gate” on the Erie Canal sounds simple enough. But such a closure would severely impede and most likely eliminate all recreational and commercial boat traffic between Canada and the U.S. via New York waterways. These measures threaten to erase decades of waterfront investments made by communities all along New York’s canals and the Hudson River. And they threaten to significantly alter a legendary waterway about to celebrate its bicentennial.

Worse, closing a lock on the Champlain Canal, or a guard gate on the Erie Canal, would not eliminate the possibility of the Round goby reaching Lake Champlain. People spread the Round goby through the improper use and disposal of live bait. It spreads when watercraft, including boats, swim rafts, and other equipment are moved from one body of water to another, often by trailer. It spreads by ballast water discharged by transatlantic ships using the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, which connects to Lake Champlain via the Richelieu River and Chambly Canal at the northern end of the lake.

The NYS Canal System adds to the vitality and economies of cities, towns, and villages along its length, as well as communities along the Hudson and St. Lawrence rivers, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie. Boaters using the Canal System to travel throughout eastern North America also contribute to communities along the Atlantic Seaboard from Maine to Florida to the Great Lakes. Businesses that languished through the pandemic, including restaurants and marinas, depend on through-boaters to survive. Closing “just one lock” and one guard gate would eliminate all long distance through-traffic and could deal a fatal blow to those local proprietors.

The NYS Canal System continues to play a critical role in New York’s transportation network. While commercial traffic is no longer the canals’ chief use, bulk cargoes (e.g., crushed stone) and high value specialty cargoes (e.g., Genesee Brewery tanks, General Electric steam turbine rotors, U.S. Navy sonar components) continue to be shipped via canal. In some cases, the canal provides the only viable method of transporting these shipments. Do we really want to give up a low carbon means to move these components and other bulk cargoes via vessels that may be too large or costly to move by land?

The State of New York, local communities and businesses, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, and many others have been reimagining New York’s canals for more than 20 years – and making great strides. An effort to close the NYS Canal System without having a more robust public dialogue is much too extreme.

We share valid concerns regarding the spread of invasive species. But we need smarter solutions that carefully consider the environmental, economic, and community impacts of both threats and proposed mitigation measures.

We believe a win-win scenario where the NYS Canal System can remain an integral economic component of the Empire State’s future while also mitigating the spread of invasive species is possible. Let’s employ and test invasive species mitigation techniques, such as bubble screens and bio-acoustic fencing, before taking more dramatic measures such as lock closure.

Commercial and recreational navigation and invasive species mitigation can co-exist if all the stakeholders are willing to engage in open dialogue and seek long-term solutions.

Contacts:
Bob Radliff, Executive Director, bob_radliff@partner.nps.gov
Jean Mackay, Director of Communications, jean_mackay@partner.nps.gov

The Preservation League was pleased to join our colleagues from the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the New York Landmarks Conservancy to make up the New York delegation for Federal Preservation Advocacy Week, March 7-11. Our group held 14 meetings with Congressional and Senate staff, and we hope to convene additional meetings in coming weeks.

Like our peers from over 40 other states, plus Guam and the Federated States of Micronesia, we conveyed three main requests in our meetings. We asked legislators to:

1. Sign a letter in support of a $200 million appropriation for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) appropriation for Fiscal Year 2023. The HPF, which provides funding for SHPOs, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs), and numerous grant programs, has been authorized at $150 million since it was established in 1976. From 2009 to 2021, the annual appropriation for the HPF ranged from $54 million to $153 million. The FY 2022 appropriation, announced during Advocacy Week when the appropriations bill for the current fiscal year was finally passed, is the highest ever at $173 million, including about $74 million to support the work of SHPOs and THPOs, with the rest dedicated to specific grants and preservation projects.

2. Co-sponsor H.R. 6589, the Historic Preservation Enhancement Act, recently introduced by Representatives Teresa Leger Fernandez and Earl Blumenauer. This bill permanently authorizes the Historic Preservation Fund, increases its authorization from $150 million to $300 million, and ensures $300 million is appropriated for the HPF each year. This represents a significant, much-needed improvement to the HPF. This new legislation has a handful of co-sponsors so far, including Congressman Joseph Morelle from New York’s 25th district. Preservation advocates have long asked for an increase in the HPF to reflect the growing workload of SHPOs and THPOs. The increase reflected in the FY2022 appropriation is welcome news, and signals the importance of raising the authorization so that this year’s bump won’t be an anomaly. The recently passed infrastructure bill creates an urgent need to increase SHPO and THPO funding, as staff face an imminent influx of billions of dollars’ worth of new construction projects that will require review.

3. Co-sponsor H.R. 2294, the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2021 (“HTC-GO”), introduced last year by Representative Earl Blumenauer. This bill proposes several improvements to the federal historic tax credit program, including a temporary increase to a 30% credit for all projects, and a permanent increase to 30% for projects under $2.5 million, plus other changes that will make the credit more appealing to investors and easier for nonprofit organizations to use. H.R. 2294 has bipartisan support, including the support of seven Congresspeople from New York so far: Representatives Higgins, Katko, Delgado, Suozzi, Morelle, Stefanik, and Tenney. Senator Gillibrand is a co-sponsor of a similar bill in the Senate, S.2266. In our meetings we thanked those who are already co-sponsors, and asked others to join them.

Federal Advocacy Week is over, but advocacy for preservation at the federal level continues! Please contact your Congressperson and ask them to sign on to Representative Blumenauer’s letter in support of the annual HPF appropriation and co-sponsor H.R. 6589 (or in Congressman Morelle’s case, thank him for his co-sponsorship). If they are already a co-sponsor of H.R. 2294 thank them for their support; if not, please ask them to co-sponsor it. Your calls, which take just a few minutes, really do make a difference in demonstrating broad support for these important bills.

Over the weekend of March 12-13, the New York State Assembly and Senate released their FY 2023 budget bills. The Preservation League is pleased that the Assembly bill includes language to extend the NYS Historic Tax Credit programs for seven years beyond their current expiration date in 2024, and add reporting language that will help clarify the impacts and effectiveness of the credits.

Extending the Historic Tax Credit programs now, rather than waiting another year, will provide assurances to those wishing to rehabilitate commercial and owner-occupied residential properties that the credits will still exist when they are ready to proceed with their rehabilitation projects. This is particularly important given current supply-chain issues and construction delays.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, as well as Assemblymembers Sillitti, McDonald, Thiele, and Griffin, who co-sponsored the bill introducing the extension of the Historic Tax Credits. We look forward to working with our friends in the NYS Senate, including Senator Timothy Kennedy, who introduced the bill in the Senate, and co-sponsor Senator José M. Serrano, to support the extension of the tax credits in the final negotiated NYS Budget.

We are also pleased that both the Senate and Assembly budget bills, like the Executive budget proposal, include an increase in the Environmental Protection Fund from $300 million to $400 million.

What can you do to ensure the Historic Tax Credit extension is included in the final budget?

If your legislator sponsored or co-sponsored the HTC extension bill (A.9043 / S.8238), please call them to thank them for supporting historic preservation! If not, please call or write to them to express your support for extending the Historic Tax Credit program for seven years, and emphasize the importance of the tax credits to sustainable economic revitalization in your community.

Memorandum of Support
A.9043 (Woerner) and S.8238 (Kennedy)

The Preservation League of New York State is New York’s statewide historic preservation nonprofit. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state. We write in support of Bill A.9043 (Woerner) and S.8238 (Kennedy) relating to extending the NYS Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit until the end of 2031. We urge the Assembly and Senate to include this bill in their budget bills this March. Extending the tax credits for an additional seven years will ensure that reinvestment in our urban cores, downtowns, neighborhoods, and Main Streets fueled by the rehabilitation tax credits will continue without interruption.

The New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credit Programs are authorized until December 31, 2024. As that date draws closer, those who want to utilize the credits will wonder if they will be available when they are ready to proceed with their projects. This uncertainty will slow reinvestment in our communities until the credit programs have been reauthorized. Current supply-chain issues, which significantly affect construction costs and timeframes, reinforce the need to confirm the extension of the credits well in advance of their current expiration date at the end of 2024.

In addition to extending the tax credits for both commercial and owner-occupied residential rehabilitation projects for seven years, the bills add reporting requirements that will make it easier to understand and evaluate the impact of the credits as an economic development tool that sustains vibrant communities.

Historic tax credits have a proven record of revitalizing historic buildings and neighborhoods throughout New York State, ensuring that historic buildings and infrastructure remain in use, rather than being wastefully discarded. Their use has leveraged significant federal dollars in economically challenged neighborhoods suffering from disinvestment. The great majority of tax-credit projects occur in Upstate communities, including large and small cities. 

The Preservation League strongly supports the two bills and urges the NYS Legislature to include them in the FY 2023 NYS budget so that our state can continue to expand its economic development in our historic cities, villages, and rural communities.

Click here for a downloadable PDF of this memorandum of support.

The League’s Vice President for Policy and Preservation Katie Eggers Comeau prepared written testimony for the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing of the Environmental Conservation Committees that took place on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.

Continue reading for the full testimony, or click here for a downloadable PDF.

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Chairwoman Krueger, Chairwoman Weinstein, and distinguished members of the Senate and Assembly, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today on the topic of historic preservation and the New York State FY 2023 Budget.

As New York State’s only statewide historic preservation nonprofit organization, the Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state and partner with local preservation organizations throughout New York.

My testimony today includes comments on the importance of historic preservation in climate change mitigation efforts, support of the legislatively proposed extension of the New York State Historic Tax Credit, and support for the Governor’s proposed budgets for the New York State Council on the Arts, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the Environmental Protection Fund.

Climate Change and the Green Economy

The Preservation League welcomes the Governor’s emphasis on combating climate change, and we support her prioritization of green energy, resiliency, and mitigation efforts. Historic preservation has a critical role to play in developing a greener, more resilient future for our state. The reuse of existing buildings, as an alternative to demolition and new construction, has quantifiable environmental benefits in keeping valuable building materials out of landfills, recapturing embodied energy, reducing the need for greenfield development, and reusing rather than duplicating existing infrastructure. The reuse of historic buildings, including appropriate measures to improve their energy performance, is thus a critically important, and effective, mitigation measure. After all, building reuse as an alternative to demolition is recycling at the largest possible scale. In addition, the preservation trades are 2 excellent examples of green jobs, as the tradespeople and craftspeople with the skills to appropriately repair, restore, weatherize, and improve existing buildings are helping to ensure that these assets remain in productive use rather than going to waste. The League stands ready to work with the Governor, the Legislature, and agency staff to ensure that programs aimed at combating climate change do so in a way that protects and capitalizes on our historic resources and the contributions they make to this critical effort.

Reauthorizing the NYS Historic Tax Credits

Since 2007, the New York State Historic Tax Credit has been a valuable tool for the revitalization of New York’s main streets and neighborhoods. Historic tax credits have a proven track record of revitalizing historic buildings and neighborhoods throughout New York State, particularly in upstate communities where their use leverages significant federal funding in economically challenged neighborhoods. The historic tax credits are particularly valuable in retaining and creating affordable housing options.

The New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credit Programs are currently authorized until December 31, 2024. As that date approaches, those who wish to utilize the credits may wonder if they will be available when they are ready to proceed with their projects. To provide greater certainty to those who want to utilize the credits, we ask the Legislature to support an early reauthorization of the New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credit Programs through December 31, 2031. Extending these credits will ensure that reinvestment in our urban cores, downtown, neighborhoods, and Main Streets will continue.

Preservation of Debar Pond Lodge

The Preservation League is partnering with colleagues at Adirondack Architectural Heritage and the Debar Pond Institute in support of a land exchange amendment that will safeguard the future of Debar Pond Lodge, a historic Adirondack lodge built around 1940 and set on the shore of Debar Pond in the town of Duane, Franklin County. Designed by notable Adirondack architect William Distin, Debar Pond Lodge is one of the largest log buildings in the Adirondacks, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its architectural significance. The nonprofit Debar Pond Institute proposes to donate over 400 acres of wild forest land to the State, to be added to the Adirondack Forest Preserve, in exchange for the State transferring a six-acre parcel, encompassing the lodge and outbuildings, to the Institute. The Debar Pond Institute will use the property for a variety of public environmental and cultural programming. The public will retain access to the shoreline of Debar Pond, which will retain its wild character. We consider this a win-win that retains a magnificent piece of 3 Adirondack architecture, enhances the Forest Preserve, and offers new recreational and cultural opportunities.

Capital Investment at OPRHP and DEC

The Governor’s proposed investment in capital projects at both OPRHP and DEC is greatly appreciated. The importance of parks and outdoor recreational opportunities to the health and well-being of New York State residents has never been more obvious than over the last two years. We support the increased funding for infrastructure improvements and particularly look forward to seeing the results of additional investment in New York State Historic Sites, as well as historic buildings and structures located within our NYS Parks.

Environmental Protection Fund

The Preservation League strongly supports the Governor’s proposed increase in funding for the Environmental Protection Fund to a record level of $400 million. We particularly note the significance of the historic preservation grants, which in recent years have funded projects including municipal and nonprofit restoration of courthouses, town halls, libraries, historic houses of worship that frequently serve multiple functions, and nonprofit arts and cultural centers. These grants then leverage private fundraising to preserve community anchors and centers of cultural tourism, and often have a catalytic impact on their communities.

NYSCA Funding

The Preservation League enjoys a longstanding partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts, and knows the importance of their work to promote and sustain arts and cultural programming and facilities, particularly given the ongoing challenges arts institutions face due to COVID-19. We support the Governor’s proposal to continue funding NYSCA’s core grantmaking programming at existing levels and to provide additional recovery funds for arts organizations and for capital projects.

Thank you for your time and attention today and for inviting the Preservation League to testify. We are happy to provide additional information about the above testimony or any other historic preservation issue at the Committee’s request

This news release is cross-posted from nps.gov.

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Federal historic preservation tax incentives generated $7 billion in GDP and 122,000 jobs in 2020

Program has generated $195.2 billion in GDP since 1978

News Release Date: December 22, 2021
Contact: NewsMedia@nps.gov

WASHINGTON - According to the Rutgers University’s Center for Urban Policy Research, the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program contributed more than $13.8 billion in output in terms of goods and services to the U.S. economy, generated approximately 122,000 jobs, and added an overall $7 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) in fiscal year 2020. The program is administered by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in partnership with State Historic Preservation Offices. 

“Historic preservation efforts do more than maintain and showcase our nation’s history – they also support community revitalization, job creation, affordable housing, and small businesses, particularly in historically marginalized communities whose histories are integral to America’s story,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “I am proud of the Department’s efforts to preserve our special places and ensure that future generations can learn about the rich history of every community.”

"Investments in the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program have extensive benefits to the national economy, generating more than $195.2 billion in GDP since 1978. This incredible federal/state partnership has enabled more than 46,000 preservation and rehabilitation projects while revitalizing communities across the country,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams.

The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program, commonly known as the Historic Tax Credit, provides a 20% federal tax credit to property owners who undertake a substantial rehabilitation of a historic building in a commercial or other income-producing use while maintaining its historic character.

The NPS certifies that a building is historic, and therefore eligible for the program, and that the rehabilitation preserves the building’s historic character. The IRS is responsible for administering the other aspects of the tax credit under the Internal Revenue Code. The tax incentives program has helped to revive abandoned or underutilized schools, warehouses, factories, churches, retail stores, apartments, hotels, houses, agricultural buildings, offices, and other buildings across the country, and, in turn, has helped support the redevelopment of entire downtowns and neighborhoods. Seventeen percent of the projects certified in Fiscal Year 2020 were located in communities of less than 25,000 people.

According to this year’s report, about half of the certified rehabilitation projects were located in low- and moderate-income areas and three-quarters of all projects were in economically distressed areas. Program-related investments created approximately 122,000 jobs, including 42,000 jobs in construction and 27,000 jobs in manufacturing, and generated $2.3 billion in construction and $2.0 billion in manufacturing respectively. As a result of both direct and multiplier effects, and due to the interconnectedness of the national economy, sectors not immediately associated with historic rehabilitation, such as agriculture, mining, transportation, and public utilities, benefited as well.

State Historic Preservation Offices are the first point of contact for information and guidance for property owners interested in the program, and the NPS works closely with them in the administration of the program. A breakdown by state of the economic impacts and other program information is included in the reports.

Fiscal Year 2020 Highlights and Reports

• Annual Report on the Economic Impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credit for Fiscal Year 2020

• Federal Tax Incentives for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2020

Rehabilitation in Action

Forty-Four & Sixty-Six Service Station, Boise, Idaho | Photo credit: Dan Everhart

Forty-Four & Sixty-Six Service Station (Boise, Idaho)
Instead of demolition and sale of the land to the highest bidder, owners of the Forty-Four & Sixty-Six Service Station decided to preserve and rehabilitate the unique mid-century building for a future tenant who would appreciate the historic character of the building and sensitively adapt it to a modern use. The rehabilitation cost approximately $166,364 and received the 2020 Orchid Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation from Preservation Idaho.

Fiscal Year 2020 Highlights

Rehabilitated Housing Units

• Rehabilitated new or existing housing units: 16,624

• Low- and moderate-income housing units: 5,889

Economic Benefit

• Total estimated rehabilitation investment (Qualified Rehabilitation Expenditures): $6.5 billion

• Historic rehabilitation projects certified: 989

• Estimated total jobs created: 122,000

• Output (Goods and Services): $13.8 billion

• Gross domestic product: $7 billion

• Income created: $5.2 billion

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

League President Jay DiLorenzo joined Senator Hinchey and Assemblymember Barrett at a press conference in July when their bills to restore the Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit passed the NYS Senate and Assembly.

This press release is reposted from NYS Senator Michelle Hinchey.

Governor Signs Bill by Senator Hinchey and Assemblymember Barrett to Resurrect the Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit

Hinchey/Barrett Law Establishes Tax Credit to Revive New York’s Dilapidated Agricultural Architecture, Incentivizes Historic Preservation with an Eye on Rural Development

ALBANY, NY – State Senator Michelle Hinchey (SD-46) and Assemblymember Didi Barrett (AD-106) today announced that their bill (S.6042/A.6947) to create a tax program to help landowners restore historic barns across rural and upstate New York has been signed into law by Governor Hochul. Thanks to the legislation, property owners will soon be eligible to apply with the state Historic Preservation Office for a 25% tax credit to restore barns constructed before 1945 back to productive use or into small businesses such as craft breweries, event spaces, and the like, to foster economic growth. 

The Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit, once a federal program, was eliminated in 2018 as a result of changes in the federal tax code under the Federal Tax Cuts and Job Act of 2017. The Hinchey/Barrett bill revives this tax incentive by placing it in state Tax Law and expanding eligibility so that more historic barns throughout the state may qualify.

“Historic preservation is a pivotal strategy for rural revitalization and by instituting the Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit we are making it more affordable for New Yorkers to save these beloved buildings from disrepair and explore new uses in agritourism, arts and culture,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “This incentive will help preserve thousands of historic barns across rural and upstate communities, allowing us to trace back New York’s rich agricultural heritage, boost community pride, and capitalize on valuable opportunities to revive local economies. I thank Assemblymember Barrett for her partnership on this legislation and Governor Hochul for signing our bill into law so we can inspire a new era of investment in rural New York.”

“Our iconic historic barns embody the Hudson Valley’s rural and agricultural roots, and the preservation, restoration and repurposing of these barns is critical to maintaining the region's bucolic character, as well as the regional economy,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “By resurrecting the New York State Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit, we are incentivizing a new generation of farmers, architecture enthusiasts, and business owners to reconnect with the state’s past while building for their own future. I thank Senator Hinchey for sponsoring this important legislation in the Senate, and thank Governor Hochul for signing our bill into law!”

“The Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit will be a boon to rural areas throughout New York State,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of NYS. “Our team at the Preservation League hears directly from historic barn owners more than any other type of property owner, and the renewal of the barn tax credit will provide a much-needed resource. The historic barns that dot our landscape provide a tangible link to our state’s agricultural past, but they also represent opportunities to revitalize communities — either through adaptive reuse or a reinvestment in agricultural uses. We are grateful to Senator Hinchey and Assemblymember Barrett for their leadership on this issue and thank Governor Kathy Hochul for signing the bill into law.”

Dr. Michael Tomlan, President of the New York State Barn Coalition, said, “The need to rehabilitate the barns across the Empire State has never been greater. The support of the Senate and Assembly members and the Governor is a tremendous step forward, energizing the economy and assisting property owners and thousands of rural communities.”

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As the Preservation League of New York State eagerly awaits the upcoming 2022 budget and legislative session, we've joined efforts with our preservation colleagues around the state to outline some initial priorities that we have shared with Commissioner Kulleseid at the Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. We stand ready to advocate for historic preservation and tout its many benefits to the great communities we have across the state.

Click here to read the letter.