By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Preserving Grand Rapids’ historic buildings and learning how to repair windows in them to reduce energy consumption are the two topics up for discussion at the third annual Historic Preservation Workshop. The workshop, titled Practical Preservation, is sponsored by the City of Grand Rapids, the Heritage Hill Association and the East Hills Council of Neighbors.
The discussions focus on historic commercial buildings, residences, and buildings in historic districts.
Rebecca Smith Hoffman, chair of the Kent County Council for Historic Preservation and co-owner of Past Perfect, heads up the discussion on how to make improvements that will qualify for state and federal tax credits.
Rob Burdick, a Heritage Hill resident and a veteran restorer of several Heritage Hill homes, leads the workshop on repairing windows with energy conservation in mind.
New this year: the discussions will run simultaneously and then repeat so attendees can participate in both workshops.
“This is the first time the city has branched out to involve the neighborhoods,” says Jan Earl, executive director of the Heritage Hill Association. “We are the largest historic district in Grand Rapids and we work closely with the Historic Preservation Commission. We’re very pleased to be a part of this.”
The workshop is free and will run on Saturday, May 17 from one to four o’clock at the Inner City Christian Federation building, 920 Cherry Street SE.
Source: Jan Earl, Heritage Hill Association; Heather Edwards, Historic Preservation Commission
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Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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