Adaptive (Re) Use

Whatever term you like to use, adaptive (re)use is a great tool for historic property conversion from one use to another.  The most well-known ordinance is in Los Angeles, but here in North Carolina the scope of an ordinance like that might be a little out of reach!  I like to start small with big ideas, particularly in small communities where elected officials may not be as comfortable with a 'new idea', especially when you start talking about ordinances that work in Los Angeles!
 
-A strong Adaptive (Re)Use ordinance can bring redevelopment $ to your community

-Converting structures from residential to commercial or vice versa is easier to do with an ordianance that is flexible

-When writing standards for converting buildings and properties, be sure to keep in mind the Americans with Disabilities Act and the neighbors

–Lighting

–Signage

–Parking

–Hours of Operation

–Types of Uses

–Landscaping

Creative ReUse Examples

Here are a few examples of amazing reuse in NC.  Got a few of your own?  Post them in the comments section so we can all learn from each other!

Coon High School, Wilson NC
Sitting in the heart of Wilson's Historic Downtown, this project revitalized a former high school into a senior living facility with 57 living units. A school from 1923-1958, the building was abandoned and left in disrepair. By 1999, the building was severely dilapidated and targeted for demolition. Through a combination of financing tools and some hard work, the project was completed in 2003. The project didn't stop there - a $1.75 million Revitalization Strategies Grant allowed the city to help revitalize the surrounding neighborhood, including conversion of a brownfield across the street into an urban park.
 

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 Public Private Partnership 

• Financed through a combination of tools: 
• Low Income Tax Credits
• Historic Preservation Tax Credits
• Federal and State Grants
• CDBG funding used to address environmental issues such as asbestos and lead based paint. 
• Used $1.75 million in federal funds (Revitalization Strategies Grant) to deal with housing conditions in the neighborhood.
• Money used to rehabilitate and, when necessary, demolish deteriorated housing
• Offered home ownership incentives to convert rentals to owner-occupied units
• 5 year initiative with $350,000 per year 

Imperial Center, Rocky Mount

A formal industrial complex is now an arts center, children's museum and science center, theater, and rental facility. Funding was provided in part through New Market Tax Credits, Historic Preservation Tax Credits, IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) grant, and a permanent loan/bond.

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Clayton Center Complex, Clayton NC

Another historic downtown project:  The former Clayton Elementary School, established in 1926, was closed in 1996.  It was later renovated and completed in 2003 at a cost of about $8.3 million. The complex now includes municipal buildings, conference areas, and an auditorium that has an annual show lineup bringing people from all over the region to Downtown Clayton.

The project was funded through a private-public partnership between Clayton and the Clayton Cultural Arts Foundation in addition to grants from various sources.

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Land Banks

Land Banks can be a powerful tool for redevelopment of vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent, and foreclosed properties. Property tax delinquency is the most common denominator among vacant and abandoned properties. These properties can be a significant obstacle to redevelopment and revitalization. Land Banks are public authorities or special purpose not-for-profit corporations that specialize in land banking activities - acquiring surplus properties and converting them to productive use or holding them for long-term strategic public purposes.

Land banks usually must be enabled by state legislation; approximately 10 states have enabling legislation. North Carolina does not yet have this, but it is a potentially strong tool for the future.

Frank Alexander is a leading expert on land banks, and his book, Land Banks and Land Banking, is available free-of-charge online here through the Center for Community Progress's website:

Land Banks and Land Banking

Building American Cities Toolkit

The Building American Cities Toolkit helps practitioners think through strategies, identify specific tools to carry out those strategies, and learn about communities elsewhere that have used those tools, to improve the land buildings, neighborhoods and other areas that make up a city’s built environment.

Neighborhood Conservation Overlay Districts

Preservation NC has put together a great resource about Neighborhood Conservation Overlay Districts. I like to refer to this method of neighborhood preservation as 'historic preservation lite.' NCODs tend to focus on a few defining characteristics of an area like setbacks and form and not the specifics like window types and paint colors.  NCODs are also generally administered by local government staff and not an appointed commission.  The picture below is two houses in Apex's Small Town Character Overlay District that were redeveloped using the Town's overlay standards.

http://www.presnc.org/Preservation-Answers/Neighborhood-Conservation-Overlay-District

Federal Programs that support Brownfield Redevelopment

The 2011 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide is a great resource to connect you with potential funding resources. Many federal grant programs can be used on brownfield sites, even if they do not specifically state so in their guidelines. This guide can lead to creative use of funding to achieve site reuse, and shows the great variety of funding available. Click the link below to take you to a PDF version of the guide.

2011 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide