A few weeks back we held our meeting to discuss what can be done to better preserve the many historic properties found in Provo. During that meeting we discussed the process which Provo previously had.
In 1994 Provo established a Landmarks commission which within a year or so began a process which resulted in roughly 80 properties being identified as needing protection. This effort was nationally recognized and Provo even received a national award for its successes in preservation. Sadly, since then the list of properties recognized as historic has stagnated. Some of the originally protected properties have been demolished. There have been no new structures designated for historic preservation in the last 10 years.
Interestingly, Provo has quite a few tools, such as the historic sites list, with which to formally recognize and help protect historic properties without taking away the property rights of the site’s owner. We are yet to use this option, but it seems like an easy win for the city. We are able to provide an incentive to preserve without overstepping our role as a city.
Economic incentives are great tools for preserving historic properties and directly contribute to the intangible improvement in city appearance as well as the very tangible increase in property values. As a city we have rolled out programs to incentivize historic downtown businesses with historic facades as well as blade signs. These programs provide small incentives for businesses to improve their appearance at little cost to the city. While a good start for preserving some historic buildings, I believe that with minimal effort Provo has the potential to restore its once famed reputation for historic preservation.
During our meeting the council voted in favor of meeting with the landmarks commission to move forward in finding ways to improve our preservation efforts in Provo.
Some years back our council executive director Matt Taylor made an amazing map of historic entities in Provo. Take a minute to explore it and comment if you noticed anything we missed.
View Historic Resources: Provo City, Utah in a larger map
This afternoon at 1:30pm the Provo Municipal council has a discussion on Historic Preservation efforts in Provo. This is an excellent opportunity for us to implement one of the most important goals outlined in our Vision 2030 process. Some time ago, the council passed Title 16 of the City Code which provides the legislative basis for the city’s stated intent of safeguarding our historical heritage. For a few years the city was very successful in working towards a comprehensive historic preservation effort.
When I ran for office I had the opportunity to speak with many of the residents in Provo’s historic downtown. They told me that the historic preservation efforts seemed to have slowed significantly. Many mentioned their concerns that key Provo Landmarks such as the Catholic church building, Hotel Roberts, and the Maeser School Grounds could have perhaps been maintained had the city been more aggressive in Historic Preservation efforts.
They often cited the success the city had in preserving the Library at Academy square as a great example of the willingness of Provo residents to go the extra mile to make sure our city maintains its historic character.
It can be a tough battle. Critics of the Library often cited its run-down condition as evidence that the building was past the point where it would be worth saving. As is unfortunately the case with most old buildings, they do tend to be in less-than-new condition and often require some work to maintain. In support of this the city has a program that provides a no-interest loan to home owners interested in fixing up a historic home.
The last two years have not been our brightest when it comes to making an effort to preserve historic properties. The Tabernacle has burned down, a number of historic properties including the Kress Building were slated for demolition for downtown construction projects, and last council meeting a vote passed that will likely lead to the Provo Housing Authority razing the George Taylor Jr house pictured above.
We also have been seeing a net loss to the number of properties our Landmark registry. The use of our registry seems like an excellent tool which has been under-utilized in recent years.
I believe we can do better and look forward to a discussion that can lead to the council taking more aggressive steps to implement Provo’s Vision for what our city should look like in 20 years.