Ohio University Baker Center

Conference Agenda

Information on Athens Street Construction

Heritage Ohio would like to thank our Conference Sponsor:

Sandvick Architects
Coon Restoration & Sealants, Inc
Gray & Pape Cultural Resource Consultants
Hardlines Design Company
Kinzelman Kline Gossman, LLC
Front Street Analytics
Chambers, Murphy & Burge Restoration Architects
Longwell Legal, LLC
JACOBS Urban Desitgn + Planning Group
Marvin Windows
Poggemeyer Design Group, Inc
Ursuline College
E. G. & G. Inc.
Van Dyke Architects, LLC
Heritage Architectural
Keystone Waterproofing & Masonry Restoration Co.
Service Supply Ltd. Inc.
Union Metal Corporation

Weston Associates

Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Rod Arter Design Illustrator

Upcoming dates for our Main Street 101 Trainings:

• September 29, 2010 in Findlay (stay tuned for more info!)
• December 1, 2010 in Jackson (download the registration form here)

After a tour and discussion, it was amazing to see what Logan County Landmark Preservation has accomplished since acquiring the building just a few short years ago. The organization is tackling rehab issues, one item at a time. Bathrooms have been completely remodeled and upgraded (and are now fully accessible), the roof has been repaired and made watertight, and a new HVAC system provides summer cooling (and soon, winter heating) allowing patrons to enjoy theater events in comfort. As the group continues to reverse non-historic changes, and restore its architectural beauty, entertainment options abound. The Glenn Miller Orchestra is playing at the Holland Theatre on Tuesday, August 18, at 7 pm and tickets are a bargain at $25 or 4 for $80.

If you get the chance to take in a show at the Holland, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed by the unique historic ornament that surrounds you. And if you believe that historic community theaters are critical to maintaining quality of life downtown, then I hope you will consider lending your assistance, as a volunteer, donor, or both, to a vibrant group doing their part to further downtown Bellefontaine’s revitalization.

Tickets are $10 each and include entry to the live music event, one Great Lakes Brewing Co. beer (or other beverage selection) and one Buckeye Beer Engine sandwich. All proceeds will support revitalization efforts and arts programming in Downtown Lakewood. Tickets will be sold to persons age 21 and over only and can be purchased online at www.downtownlakewood.org .

The live concert includes performances by the following Lakewood-based bands:

• VMS Trio led by Chris Vance, owner of Vance Music Studios, this group puts an updated twist on standard jazz, funk and blues tunes from the 1950’s through today
• Madison Crawl revives the raw, earthy swinging sounds of boogie bluesArgyle Denial is a female fronted rock band that sounds like a hybrid of The Go-Go’s and garage rock
• KTH is neoteric punk-wave
• DJ Tim Lane will entertain the crowd between performances

Event sponsors include Lakewood Hospital, Great Lakes Brewery Co., Buckeye Beer Engine and Hyland Software, Inc.

Main Street Nelsonville board members talk through one-year projects to accomplish and assigning committees to complete each project.

Last week we had a great strategic planning session in Nelsonville. Here are some important points that came out of our discussion.

Making the most with limited resources, both people & financial, isn’t easy. It’s always a difficult process. Figuring out how & where to devote your program’s resources, when there’s so much that needs to be done, means you have to make choices carefully.

Some of the questions to keep in mind as you work through the planning process include:

• Does the project move the organization toward accomplishing its mission/fulfilling its vision of the downtown?
• Is the project budget realistic & does the organization have (or can get) the money needed to pull it off?
• Do we have the volunteer resources available to make this happen? If not, can we partner to get them?
• Is there at least one person in the group who will champion the project through to fruition, who can be the cheerleader even when other peoples’ motivation starts to flag?

Sure, work planning can be a bear, but without it, a program inevitably just ends up spinning its wheels. Let’s say someone asked you to drive from Athens to Tiffin, without a map to help plan your route, or guide you while you were on the road (not to mention assisting you get back on track when coming across unplanned detours). An organization expecting to accomplish its mission/fulfill its vision without work plans to guide its efforts is as bad as trying to drive from Point A to Point B without a map.

Work Plans provide value in many ways:

• They give the board and committees a consensus-building environment to guide the direction of the organization (whether if deciding which projects to tackle or figuring out how to tackle them) giving everyone the opportunity to provide input, voice their concerns, and develop a sense of buy-in for what the group hopes to accomplish
• They allow the group to break down what seems like a daunting project into small, manageable tasks
• Those tasks are interconnected with deadlines, and keeping the project rolling depends on the continued completion of the individual tasks (without completion dates it becomes too easy to put off tasks to the future, and before you know it, an early task that needed to be completed weeks ago isn’t done and the timeline of the entire project is put in jeopardy)
• They provide accountability, because each task includes a person responsible

With your resources in place, and using careful planning to guide your efforts, it will be exciting to watch the momentum of your organization continue to build. Whether as a new Main Street or as a veteran organization, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish in just a year.

The agenda included a variety of presenters on various ways to fund theater rehabilitations, planning and programming: Deena Epstein from the Gund Foundation; Jessica Fagan from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission; Don Longwell from the Longwell Law Firm; Jimeka Hollway from the Foundation Center; and Pat Henahan from the Ohio Arts Council.

To summarize the day’s proceedings:

• One cannot under-estimate the need for vision and a strong well-formed long range plan (The Ohio Arts Council helps fund this).
• Approach funders that match your needs (The Foundation Center & member libraries have the resources at your disposal to do this).
• Planning for a state appropriation is not a hand-out; build your groundwork share your plan as you educate state representatives.
• Taking advantage of historic tax credits for rehabilitation can supply a significant amount of capital to a rehabilitation project, but is not for amateurs; yes it is viable, hire the appropriate expertise to make things run smoothly.

Heritage Ohio has been involved in this Historic Theaters Initiative because theaters are an important partner in the revitalization of our communities and the buildings themselves are frequently iconic landmarks in the community- both socially as well as architecturally. We have worked with the Ohio Arts Council, which also recognizes the cultural and economic impact that theaters have in our communities.

What’s next?

Our next workshop will be June 29th in Wilmington the featured topic will be Community Partnerships. The League of Historic American Theaters will be hosting their national conference in Cleveland July 15-18, they are offering a discounted registration to Ohio’s Historic Theaters.

We have had several volunteers working on spin off projects that may interest out constituents. Michael Hurwitz is focusing on Opera Houses, he is writing a play that will be performed throughout the state this fall, visit his new web site at www.historicoperahouses.org.  Volunteer Carrie Cox has undertaken a huge task to update a database of Ohio’s historic theaters, based on an inventory from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office. Soon we’ll make that available so that the public can give us updates.

So far our workshop participants have been enthusiastic to learn more from their peers here in Ohio and we look forward to forming a Google group to facilitate even more communication.  It’s kind of like looking for a needle in the haystack- finding all of the communities in Ohio which have opera houses and theaters- both operating and under-utilized.  If you or anyone you know should be contacted let us know!

For those of us involved in historic preservation issues, we “get it” inherently, and apparently are not able to articulate what seems so obvious: that preserving what we have is socially, economically and environmentally prudent!  To us, why the Seneca County Courthouse should be rehabilitated shouldn’t even be debated, it is evident by just looking at the building, but others don’t see what we see. As we face so much economic uncertainty, why are we not investing in our environment that can sustain skilled jobs and reinvestment in our infrastructure?

Rypkema reframes the issues in words that reach out to explain that sustainability is about preserving resources, that tearing down and starting over is exceedingly expensive and that as social beings we want to live with a sense of place.

Read, enjoy, share.

Top Opportunity Success Story sponsored by Gray and Pape of Cincinnati

Woman’s Art Council of Cincinnati Mariemont

Nominated and recognized in 2007 during Heritage Ohio’s inaugural Top Opportunities List the historic Resthaven Barn Project certainly exemplifies what Top Opportunities was meant to do – highlight wonderful buildings that had a future in contributing to the liveliness of the community. The Resthaven Barn was built in 1924 as a model farm and dairy which operated from 1924-1940 in Mariemont (NHL 2007). After the farm closed the village took over the property to house their maintenance department and equipment. They then relocated in 2005 leaving the buildings vacant and without purpose; and with a $1 million dollar rehabilitation estimate, not a lot of support. The Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati saw the potential and stepped forward buying the building in 2006 for $50,000 and with stipulations that renovation work begin in 6 months and occupancy within 2 years!  Following an aggressive fundraising campaign and renovation the new Cultural Center opened in 2007.  The facility houses an exhibition gallery, artist studios, classrooms, and meeting space.

Best Small Residential sponsored by Union Metal

Howard House

This unusual little Gothic Revival cobblestone house c. 1853 has the dedicated stewardship of its owner Mr. Kenneth Kessler.  A masonry challenge the building’s owner brought in ARRC, Inc as architects and Mason’s Mark as masons to rehabilitate a home with a maze of cracks, failure points and inappropriate prior cement “repairs.” Analysis of the mortar and testing of possible mixes added to the intrigue of working on an essentially forgotten craftsman’s skill and work of art.   Replacement stone was found on the property and all sand and mortars for the project was mined within 15 miles. The project was privately financed.

Large Residential sponsored by Union Metal

Park Lane Villa

Built in 1923 as a grand residential hotel, this Beaux Arts French Renaissance masterpiece is part of the Wade Park Historic District in Cleveland.  Converted from grand to subsidized housing for the elderly, deferred maintenance compromised the structure forcing its abrupt closure. The City of Cleveland turned to Finch Group who worked with City Architecture and Marous Brothers Construction to bring the building back, now the building boasts 96 high-end apartments with over 40 unique floor plans. Low quality replacement windows from the 70’s had to be replaced. And the original splendor has been return to ballroom and lobbies. Complex financing, of multiple mortgages grants and tax credits made this $30 million dollar restoration possible. The sustainability of historic buildings was important to the partners recognizing the greenest building is the one already built.

Best Commercial Rehabilitation sponsored by Ulmer and Berne LLP

East 4th Street

This years’ award winner is not just one historic building, but an entire block of buildings, both sides! This block of East 4th Street was built-up between 1875 and 1951, with buildings ranging from two- stories to eight stories high. In the heart of what is now known as the Historic Gateway District several dedicated building owners banded together back in the late 1990s; beginning with acquiring National Register listing then developing a vision to turn this block around. During this time MRN Ltd. acquired most of the buildings, and followed a comprehensive plan to integrate restaurant, entertainment, housing and retail. The City of Cleveland served as a critical partner in infrastructure improvements, loans and abatements. Historic tax credits have been enhanced by the use of conservation easements which have provided $22 million in equity.

Best Public Improvement sponsored by Hardlines Design Co.

Ft. Piqua Hotel

Thousands of people attended the grand re-opening of the historic Fort Piqua Hotel on October 19th 2008.  The 88,000 square foot landmark in Piqua opened its doors in 1891. The building has played a role in community history through the decades from hosting all three presidential candidates in the famous 1912 presidential election to being the location of sit-ins during the racially tense 1960s. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 did not prevent the building’s closure and abandonment in 1982. In 2001 city leaders determined they needed to take the lead in bringing this building back to serviceable use. Jeff Wray Architects began the process with a feasibility study, the community’s Flesh Public Library looking to expand, brought in their architects, MKC-PSA; and the planning, designing and engineering made for a complicated project through 2006 when preliminary plan approval was given. The complex financing used multiple grants, tax credits and tremendous private fundraising from this modest community.  Today this $21 million rehabilitation offers not only state of the art library, but restaurant and retail on the ground floor and beautiful conference facilities on the top floor.

Best Business sponsored by EG&G

Chas and Gordon Geiger, Geiger Clothing & Sport Lakewood Ohio

A family owned business in located in the heart of Downtown Lakewood celebrated 75 years in business in 2007. Chas and Gordon Geiger along with their wives Patti and Susan represent the third generation of Geiger’s continuing a long tradition of fine clothing and service which began as a haberdashery. The Geiger’s have served as role models for the business community and generous sponsors to the multitude of community events. The business of course carries high quality merchandise and exemplary service, but pushes to have professionally designed windows, always up-to-date web presence, and electronic marketing. They don’t need to be told how important it is to have both attractive front as well a rear entrances, sparkling windows, and clean sidewalks.  This destination business is leading the way based on a long history of success.

Creative Fundraiser sponsored by America in Bloom

City Hop

This year the Columbus Landmarks Foundation is preparing to celebrate their 10th year of City Hop — an annual self-guided tour of downtown living spaces that attracts thousands or people to downtown Columbus. This is the organizations’ main fundraising event involving hundreds of volunteers coordinated over the spring months as sponsorships are sought, guide books printed, transportation and way-finding logistics determined. The critical relationship with downtown developers, realtors, businesses and residents for a tour which includes 15 to 20 living spaces in various stages of rehabilitation from raw to furnished is a massive undertaking.

Promotional Event – TIE the award sponsored by Chambers Murphy and Burge Restoration Architects

Windows on Tippecanoe

Again, not the first community to have an ‘Art Show’, but recognizing how this Promotional Event showcased the organizational skills and partnerships formed in a community collaboration which is going to bring success to Tipp City’s downtown.
This event appropriately provided the seed money for a new Tippecanoe Arts Council formed last fall. This was a summer-long art display (from June 14th – September 21st). Fifty local artists produced the works with weather resistant acrylic paints, which were then fashioned to appear as windows and placed in decorative frames, these frames in turn were attached to a false façade positioned to abut an existing buildings side wall and adjacent to off-street parking. The art work brought new visitors and tourists into the downtown. A gala auction on October 4, raised $7200 which was split between participating organizations.
Downtown revitalization happens when the whole community collaborates.

Tour Findlay – Hancock Regional Planning

Certainly several communities have downtown walking tours, but when a community such as Findlay hosts an event like this, which is a watershed moment for turning the corner towards a brighter future, it deserves recognition. On October 17th over 400 people came to downtown Findlay to tour 5 historic buildings along Main Street, following the tour a reception was held at the historic Elk’s lodge featuring the catering expertise of half a dozen local restaurateurs. The event raised $3000. Bouncing back from the devastating flood of the fall before, the public needed to see and experience that life in downtown had returned in full swing. Collaborating within the community has been a spring board for Findlay that we hope will be the entrée to a new Main Street community.

Spirit of Main Street sponsored by Beckett and Raeder

Bob Garvin – Canal Winchester

Bob Garvin has been a driving force with the Main Street Canal Winchester program since 2001. Pushing beyond their work plan, Bob has seen that the stakeholders in the region are well aware of Canal Winchester’s Main Street programs mission, goals and successes. His leadership has continued to engage new volunteers and the city leadership so that their program is instrumental to the success of all planning in the community.

Main Street Manager of the Year sponsored by Poggemeyer Design Group

Lorna Swisher – Piqua

It is such a pleasure to recognize Lorna, for all she does not only for the Piqua community, but for her contributions to the statewide Main Street Program as well. (Lorna served as the first “chair” of the Main Street Managers’ Advisory Committee, which brought her to the Heritage Ohio Board of Trustees as the representative of the Main Street Managers.) Lorna became the Executive Director of Main Street Piqua in 1997. She continues to be a motivating force with her many committees, and the building and business owners in Piqua. She has brought hundreds of thousands of grant dollars to the community. As we have celebrated the Ft. Piqua Hotel today we know that Lorna also plays a leadership role in making Piqua’ downtown a more dynamic place each year.

Preservation Hero sponsored by Vorys, Sater,Seymour and Pease, LLP

Ruth Parker – Sandusky

Ruth Frost Parker is not just a Sandusky hero but an Ohio hero, for the portfolio of rehabilitation work she has completed.
Beginning more than 25 years ago and continuing today she is undaunted by what others think when a building has supposedly completed its usefulness. When the Post Office was vacated, she envisioned the space could be re-invented to house the Marry-go-Round Museum. She and her late husband Bill‘s first project now houses the Sandusky Main Street Association.  An empty department store now houses county offices. Buildings in downtown Sandusky and along the waterfront now have new purposes as boutiques, offices and market rate housing, providing a new liveliness for Sandusky based on its former grandeur.  Fortunately for all of us she is still at work seeking new solutions for historic schools, houses and storefronts.  Certainly we look forward to Ruth’s future projects being submitted for historic rehabilitation awards in the years to come.

33rd Annual Conference and Theatre Tour

July 15-18, 2009 in Cleveland, OH

BALTIMORE, MD (May 2009) – The League of Historic American Theatres announces its 33rd Annual Conference and Theatre Tour, Focus 20/20: Your Theatre, Your Town, July 15-18, 2009 in Cleveland, OH.

Change is in the air. The future is profoundly less certain than at any time in recent memory. How are global economic woes affecting historic theatres that have been important catalysts for the economic and cultural development of many neighborhoods and communities? What strategies and tactics are they developing for these turbulent times?
Hosted locally by PlayhouseSquare, the world’s largest theater restoration project and the nation’s largest performing arts center outside New York City, the League’s 2009 conference convenes in one of the most collaborative cultural districts in the United States. Cleveland, a city that has overcome many challenges over decades, is a great place for confronting difficult challenges with creative solutions and envisioning the future of historic theatres.
Challenging times require new strategies, renewed energy and resolve. The League’s 2009 conference will offer resources for leveraging diminishing resources to greater advantage, thinking strategically, and developing strength as change agents within organizations and communities. Conference activities will help attendees improve their historic theatres, their business and their communities.

Headquartered at the Wyndham Cleveland Hotel at Playhouse Square, the conference includes visits to local historic theatres and neighborhoods and sharing Cleveland’s wealth with the League’s growing network of operating historic theatres across the U.S. and Canada. A varied agenda of early morning “Eye Opener” breakfast sessions and peer discussions, tools and techniques sessions, a service providers and suppliers expo, theatre tours and performances feature presentations by local and national experts. Awards for Outstanding Historic Theatre and Outstanding Individual Contribution will be announced during the Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, July 18th.

The League’s conference and pre-conference Historic Theatre Ramble will include visits to Ohio theatres of varying sizes, architectural styles, operating structures and programming philosophies. An optional pre-conference professional development seminar, Capital Campaigns in Tough Times, provides a real life case study of Great Lakes Theater Festival’s renovation of the Hanna Theatre. NYC-based consultants Halsey and Alice North will be joined by the Great Lakes Theatre Festival’s capital campaign leaders in presenting the day-and-a-half seminar.

For additional information, including secure on-line registration, visit the League’s web site at: www.lhat.org .

About the League of Historic American Theatres

Dedicated to sustaining America’s historic theatres, the League of Historic American Theatres, Inc. (www.lhat.org), a non-profit membership association, is a network of professional stewards of irreplaceable social, economic, historic and cultural resources for their communities. Founded in 1976, the League serves members through educational programs, publications, specialized services and an annual conference and theatre tour, facilitating the exchange of information and resources for improving their theatres, their business and their communities.

League members include theatre managers, who are effective cultural conveners in communities of all sizes, as well as architects, engineers, specialists in historic finishes, and other consultants, service providers and suppliers. Many League members have energized venues and neighborhoods, are operating successfully, and are generating significant economic and cultural benefits for their communities. Other members are dedicated to rescuing their hometown facility and improving their communities by returning cultural life to their main streets.