October 15-17, Newark, Ohio
Ohio's Premier Preservation & Revitalization Conference in Partnership with the State Historic Preservation Office
Join us in historic downtown Newark for 3 days of inspiring educational sessions on historic preservation and downtown revitalization!
Conference Sponsors
A special thanks to the sponsors who make our conference possible every year!
Conference Registration
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Legacy Circle Reception
Add-on to Conference Admission: Legacy Circle Reception Tickets
- Legacy Circle Ticket
Conference Schedule
Tour: The Newark Arcade - General Tour
Take a hardhat tour of the nearly complete Newark Arcade. This session has been approved for 1.00 AIA LU credit. This tour is sponsored by OHM Advisors and the Huseman Group.
Fred Ernest
Melinda Shah
Building Code Basics for Historic Main Street
Historic buildings may have been built either prior to building codes existing or under codes that are long out of date but, that does not mean the building code doesn’t matter. A basic understanding of the current building code can help you understand what you can use the building for, what improvements may be needed, and how to make sure it is accessible to as many people as possible. This session will give an introduction to the building code as it relates to typical historic building types. We will also explore some of the historic origins and reasons why portions of the building code are required. This session has been approved for 2.00 AIA HSW.
Melinda Shah
Code & Affordable Housing Through Case Study
Intermediate Session: The experts at Marous Brothers Construction will share: * Affordable Housing Projects within Historic Properties in Northeast Ohio * OHFA’s role on projects * A case study of The Longfellow Senior Housing
Downtown Design Charrette
Join us for an interactive session to learn how a design charrette can be a useful tool in exploring downtown opportunities and ideas. Attendees will participate in a visioning exercise for a mid-size historic downtown utilizing the creative design charrette process. Learn how you can use a design charrette to bring community stakeholders together to share, organize, and prioritize ideas for successful implementation. This session has been approved for 2.00 AIA HSW credits.
Craig Gossman
Danielle Steinhauser
Planning for the Future: The Licking County Framework
In this two-part session, see how Licking County came together to plan for future growth in the county. In the first part, learn how a public-private collaboration was formed that included 15 jurisdictions and 6 business partners, convened by a private family foundation. You will be able to identify ways to learn from this model to lead within your community. The session will include a description of the community challenge, recruitment of a leadership team and planning consultant, management of community engagement and project funding. In the second half of the session, discover what the FRAMEWORK plan revealed and how the communities are working toward sustainable growth. Topics will include conservation & development, economy, and housing and will review the key deliverables. Learn how to establish actionable steps to strengthen your community and shape growth and potential opportunities and challenges to implementation. This session has been approved for 2.50 AIA HSW credits.
Jennifer Roberts
Jaime Greene
Historic Properties & Affordable Housing in Ohio's Appalachia Region
Most small towns in rural Ohio are blighted by older homes in varying states of dilapidation. Many of these homes are no longer occupied or even occupiable. Often these houses, while perhaps lacking in historical significance, nonetheless are representative of their communities’ cultural heritage. Thus, their loss, in addition to being a significant economic negative and a loss of affordable housing stock, also constitutes an erosion of architectural distinctness and community identify. But unlike historic properties, for which numerous programs exist to encourage and support their preservation, such “heritage housing” has received little comparable attention. This phenomenon presents an opportunity in which the rehabilitation of older housing stock can improve affordable first-time home ownership while generating employment, income, and wealth, and preserving community identity. Mr. Lane will discuss his research at the Ohio University Voinovich School of leadership and Public Service which examined the opportunity to enhance Athens County’s supply of more affordable housing through the rehabilitation of older single-family houses – “heritage houses” – that have fallen into disrepair and are uninhabited. In this study, the term “attainable heritage housing” was coined to describe existing older home in need of repair, that are priced below conventional definitions of affordability and which – while typically lacking in historical significance, are nonetheless distinctly representative of their communities’ pasts. The study found that a program of targeted older house rehabilitation could produce significant short- and long-term positive economic impacts for current and prospective residents, while enhancing a community’s position to leverage aesthetic heritage distinctiveness to capitalize on emergent economic opportunities. This session has been approved for 1.00 AIA HSW credit.
Brent Lane
Main Street 101
Learn about Main Street organizations from conception to accreditation in this fast-paced session. What does it take to start a discussion in your community, who should be involved, how to build a sustainable organization, and get away from using all of the usual suspects? Join me as we hear how Main Street began.
Frances Jo Hamilton
Pre-Awards Reception
Join us for a drink and light hors d'oeuvres before the start of the Annual Awards & Film Festival.
Heritage Ohio Annual Awards & Film Fest
Join us as we celebrate the best in Ohio historic preservation & community revitalization.
Welcome
Welcome to the 2024 Heritage Ohio Annual Conference. Our opening address will be delivered by Chief Billy Friend of the Wyandotte Nation. Chief Friends' opening remarks have been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation do not necessarily represent those of Ohio Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Billy Friend
Story Maps for Historical & Architectural References
Story maps are a great method to tell the story of a site, a neighborhood, or a community visually using GIS technology. In this session, learn how you can be developing story maps for your historic and architectural resources in your community. Approved for 1.00 AIA LU credit.
Todd Peetz
The National Register of Historic Places: Making the Case for Significance: Assessing Historic Integrity & Comparative Analysis
Join Ohio’s National Register staff Mary Rody and Barb Powers to learn helpful guidance for preparing complete nominations for all types of properties. The session will engage the audience in an interactive discussion covering two essential components for successful National Register nominations – determining the character-defining features establishing historic integrity to convey a property’s significance and providing a meaningful comparison to similar properties to evaluate significance. Session will be useful to anyone, whether you are a beginner or experienced professional, who wants to nominate a property to the National Register. Approved for 1.00 AIA LU credit.
Barb Powers
Mary Rody
Apocalypse No: Main Street Retailing - Now More than Ever
In this session, learn the latest retail trends that are happening on Main Street and how you can activate vacant retail spaces.
Kathleen Norris
Nate Weyand-Geise
What Does Engagement Look Like for a Young Professional?
Join Jayme, Jocelyn, and Kevin as they discuss engaging the youth and young professionals across Licking County through the school systems and through their young professional group. They will discuss how their views of engagement includes philanthropic giving, professional development, workforce and education initiatives.
Jocelyn Hartshorn
Kevin Cox
Jayme Blackstone
The Return of the Wyandot Mission Church
Built in 1824 in Upper Sandusky, the Wyandot Mission Church was the first Methodist Mission in America to Native Americans. The church was used by the Wyandot Tribe until 1843 when the tribe was forced from Ohio by the federal government during Indian Removal. After falling into disrepair, the church was restored in 1889. Additional renovations were done in 1983. Members of the John Stewart UMC, about a mile away from the mission church, coordinate use of the site and open it to the public for visitation throughout the summer months. In 2019, the church was returned to the Wyandot Tribe. This session will look at the history of the history of the church, the historic return of the site to the tribe, and will reflect on the event and what it has meant to both parties. Approved for 1.00 AIA HSW credit.
Billy Friend
Betsy Bowen
Tour: Newark Arcade
Get a sneak peek of the historic Newark Arcade before it opens. This tour is designed for a general audience. Approved for 1.00 AIA LU credit. TICKET REQUIRED. This tour is sponsored by OHM Advisors and the Huseman Group.
Fred Ernest
Melinda Shah
Downtown Newark Infrastructure Tour
When the time came to do work on the downtown square in Newark, the city decided to do something few do, do everything necessary at the same time and improve the functionality of the square. Since then, the city has restored two-way traffic, installed roundabouts, underwent sewer separation, and installed bio-swales. Come see first-hand the work completed with the firms that helped redesign the square and learn how all of this work was financed and managed at the city-level. Approved for 2.25 AIA HSW Credits. TICKET REQUIRED. This tour is sponsored by OHM Advisors and the Huseman Group.
Aaron Domini
The National Register of Historic Places: Creating & Amending National Register Historic Districts
Join State Historic Preservation Office National Register staff to learn about preparing nominations for historic districts and how to use these nominations to promote and benefit your community. Historic District nominations are often the most efficient and comprehensive approach to nominating properties to the National Register but can be considered overwhelming and cost prohibitive. Audience engagement will cover the essentials for preparing successful nominations including how to identify defensible boundaries, determining the period of significance, preparing a focused historic context, and tips for creating maps, photographs, and other support materials. Plus, guidance will be shared about how to amend existing National Register district nominations to expand or decrease boundaries, change the period of significance, and add new areas of significance. Approved for 1.00 AIA LU credit.
Barb Powers
Mary Rody
The Path to UNESCO: Ohio's First UNESCO Recognized Site
Ohio's Newark Earthworks were recently recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site. This session will explore the process of getting this important cultural landmark recognized around the globe. Approved for 1.00 AIA HSW credit.
Billy Friend
Jennifer Aultman
District Management and Economic Development with Urality
Showing the value of your downtown redevelopment program, whether it’s through the lens of job creation, vacancies, or investment, can be cumbersome and time consuming. At the same time, Main Street Managers are tasked with maintaining their programs while being the go-to resource in their community for many different interests. In an effort to ease the burden on Main Street Managers, Heritage Ohio has partnered with Urality and its Unified product offering; a first of its kind district management tool focused on understanding your place data through the lens of economic development. Unified supports data collection, communication, and AI powered insights to turn numbers in a spreadsheet into a powerful narrative to quantify the work of your downtown revitalization programs. Join us to learn more about the pilot program that is underway in Lorain County.
Justin Copenhaver
Matt Wiederhold
Creating Downtown Coworking & Shared Office Spaces
Shared office spaces can bring foot traffic and investment into downtowns, but how do you bring it to life? Learn how co-working is being integrated into small and mid-size towns across Ohio utilizing the JobsOhio and other state resources.
Kristi Tanner
Dana Matz
The Over-The-Rhine Historic District Conservation Guidelines for New Construction
Cincinnati’s Over the Rhine neighborhood is a state and national treasure, containing the largest collection of 19th Century Italianate architecture in the country. Once threatened with demolition by neglect, this neighborhood has become a shining example pf preservation, but its not without its challenges. 50% of its historic fabric has been lost since 1930. Despite this, investment and rehabilitation continue to pour into the neighborhood, many times in the form of new, infill construction. While historic conservation guidelines have been in place for decades, guidelines for infill construction had been somewhat loose and vague, given that prior to its recent renaissance, most of the investment was in rehabilitation. As more buildings get rehabilitated, development, in the form of robust infill of existing vacant lots has surged. Neighborhood stakeholders undertook an arduous 8-year process to develop thorough, comprehensive, and VISUAL guidelines to help steer appropriate infill development. This session will explore the good, bad and the ugly of this process, and present often contrasting viewpoints about the effectiveness and appropriateness of specific guidelines that are designed to influence new infill development. Approved for 1.00 AIA HSW credit.
Graham Kalbli
Frank Russell
Ohio & Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credits
Learn about the application and competitive scoring process used to evaluate applications for the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program. Lisa Brownell from the Ohio Department of Development will review all scoring measures and explain funding pools, application review timing, and program requirements. Lisa will also review the Pipeline Initiative, which provides grants and technical assistance to prepare properties for tax credit. In addition, this session will also review the application for federal historic preservation tax credits, where you will learn how to perfect your submissions, including what is involved in submitting a complete/reviewable application to the State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service. Mariangela Pfister from the State Historic Preservation Office will explain best practices and considerations when completing the federal and state Historic Preservation Certification Application documents to help better ensure your rehabilitation will be reviewable and will meet the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Tips will be offered on submission requirements, efficiently navigating the application review process, and complete successful rehabilitation projects. There will also be an overview of the electronic submission process.
Mariangela Pfister
Lisa Brownell
A Community Finds its Brand
This session guides participants through Licking County's comprehensive brand development and visitor strategies, which have translated into economic and place-making wins. With visually stunning images and an authentic voice, Explore Licking County has reinvented its communities in a genuine, organic way to showcase the area as a consumer choice when visiting. It's a story rich in heritage, tradition, and midwestern hospitality that is producing not only dollars but also raving Licking County fans.
Dan Moder
Getting the Right People at the Table: Building Teams to Succeed at Downtown Revitalization
You often see successful downtown revitalization projects, but what you don't often hear about is how they came together. This session will share with you the process of assembling a highly-effective team to get your projects off the ground and how to keep them on track and over the finish line. Approved for 1.00 AIA LU credit.
Jeff Hall
Fred Ernest
Fire Protection & Life Safety for Historic Preservation & Adaptive Re-Use
This presentation is an overview of the building codes and standards applicable to historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects, including an overview of alternative approaches to building, fire, and life safety code compliance. The program also includes two case studies based on two Ohio projects as examples of two tools available to design professionals to demonstrate compliance using an alternative approach to compliance. Approved for 1.50 AIA HSW credit.
Scott Voelkerding
Advocacy Updates with the Chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
Sara Bronin, Chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, will share updates on the state of historic preservation in the country and will discuss the ACHP Chair's Report on Federal Historic Preservation Standards. Approved for 1.00 AIA HSW credit.
Sara Bronin
Tour: Newark & Octagon Earthworks
Tour the UNESCO-recognized Newark & Octagon Earthworks with Brad Lepper & Jen Aultman. Approved for 3.25 AIA HSW credits. TICKET REQUIRED. This tour is sponsored by OHM Advisors and the Huseman Group.
Jennifer Aultman
Brad Lepper
Incentives for Successful Historic Rehabilitation Projects
Beyond historic preservation tax credits, what other financial tools are available to finance projects? Such incentives are more important than ever with credit markets tightening in the current inflationary high interest rate environment. In this session, we will take an in-depth look at the power of combining available incentives, with a primary focus on New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs), Opportunity Zones, tax increment financing (TIF), property tax abatements, TMUD, and PACE financing. We will also discuss such practical experiences as considerations related to retaining vs. syndicating federal historic tax credits (HTC), closing HTC and NMTC syndication transactions, obtaining bridge financing, and choosing a good team of consultants to complete HTC projects. By presenting examples of actual deal structuring for some great historic properties, this session shows you how these and other programs work, how they can function together, and how you can work with the government agencies, investors, lenders, accountants, attorneys, and preservation consultants who can bring these incentives to your project. Note: our session is intended for those with a basic knowledge of project development. A significant amount of time is made available for questions so that participants can apply what they have learned. Approved for 1.00 AIA LU credit.
Gordon Goldie
Marie Hickle
Nathan Ware
Expanding the Boundaries of Downtown
Think the borders of your community's downtown are written in stone? Think again. Learn about two projects happening in Newark that are expanding the boundaries of the downtown. Approved for 1.00 AIA LU credit.
Jeff Hall
Low-Cost High-Impact Events
Can't get volunteers, running on a shoe string budget, spending hours, months or maybe the whole year planning that one big event? Let's talk about why and how to host events in your downtown that won't drain the budget or your volunteer base. Start having fun again planning events.
Frances Jo Hamilton
Debunking the Parking MYTH with Facts
Parking is almost always the number one PERCEIVED issue within downtowns. These perceptions are creating less walkable or pedestrian friendly corridors. In order to help provide statistical data on utilization and guidance on increased efficiency, a detailed assessment must be prepared. This process is a downtown parking evaluation. This lecture will deep dive into how to perform a parking evaluation, review utilization, and integrate consumer technology into the review process. Participants who attend this lecture will be provided with strategies, a framework, and a defined process for conducting this review. Also, a series of graphic materials and templates will be reviewed and made available for use by all participants. This will allow everyone to table the parking perception problems head-on with numbers and figures, not just ideas. Approved for 1.00 AIA LU credits.
Ben Levenger
Historic Tax Credit Developer Tea: Small Towns to Big Cities
Four downtown developers will discuss some of their favorite downtown projects and reflect on their experiences, insights, and stories about those projects.
Tour: The Home Building Association Company Building
Take a hardhat tour of the renovation project at The Home Building Association Company Building in downtown Newark. One of only eight banks designed by noted American architect Louis Sullivan, it is both a national treasure and a treasured piece of Central Ohio’s heritage. Through the years, the Sullivan Building was also home to a butcher shop, a jewelry store and eventually an ice cream parlor. With each new tenant the interior was altered, but the building’s historic and architectural significance never changed. In 1973, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Approved for 1.00 AIA LU credit. TICKET REQUIRED This tour is sponsored by OHM Advisors and the Huseman Group.
Vendor Reception
Grab a drink and a bite to eat at our evening Vendor Reception. Visit with our vendors and network with fellow professionals from around the state.
Legacy Circle Reception - Hosted by GBX Group
Thank you to our Legacy Circle Supporters for investing in the mission of Heritage Ohio. This reception is hosted by GBX Group and sponsored by Marous Brothers Construction. TICKET REQUIRED.
Main Street Networking
Sponsored by OHM Advisors.
African-American Resources & The National Register
Join Diamond Crowder, State Historic Preservation Office staff, to learn about underrepresented communities and the National Register. Diamond will discuss the importance of nominating African American sites to the National Register of Historic Places and share new and exciting projects that Diamond has underway. Learn about new National Register nominations addressing race relations and civil rights, African American women, Green Book properties, black churches, and postwar housing subdivisions. In addition, Diamond will engage the audience in ways to build public awareness about nominating African American historic sites to the National Register of Historic Places. Approved for 1.00 LU Credit.
Diamond Crowder
Outdoor Recreation & Experiential Tourism
Two of the hottest trends in tourism are outdoor recreation and experiential tourism. Hear from the Ohio Travel Association's Melinda Huntley on the economic impact of this type of tourism and how your community can take advantage of the trend.
Melinda Huntley
The Single Family Tax Credit Program
The Ohio Housing Finance Agency’s Single Family Tax Credit program leverages public-private partnerships to increase the inventory of affordable, single-family housing for Ohio’s growing workforce. The program encourages the development of single-family housing opportunities, through either new construction or rehabilitation, by providing a tax credit to encourage investment in the project. Approved for 1.00 LU Credit.
Carrie Manno
Nature as Living History
Has your historical site thought about its outdoors as an extension of the collections? Maybe your organization has a historically significant tree planted by the founder or by staff in honor of an institutional milestone. Or, you may want to mark an anniversary by planting a tree or garden but no one on staff has a horticulture background. Participants will learn more about arboreta and how they act as a tree museum that provides beauty, education and plant knowledge including: * The value in accessioning and conserving the surrounding environment * How to plant for longevity with horticulture recommendations * The relationship between plants and historic buildings * Significant trees and propagating them for your collection Approved for 1.00 LU Credit.
Leslie Wagner
Gregory Payton
How Non-Profits Can Utilize Tax Credits
Join Chad Arfons & Tim Keith to learn how non-profits can utilize tax credits on historic rehabilitation projects.
Chad Arfons
Tim Keith
Tour: Newark Arcade: Industry Professionals Tour
Tour the historic Newark Arcade weeks before its grand opening! This tour will also explore the scope of the project, its financing, and challenges encountered during the rehabilitation of the building. This tour is designed for industry professionals, but anyone is welcome to attend. This session has been approved for 1.00 AIA HSW credits. TICKET REQUIRED. This tour is sponsored by OHM Advisors and the Huseman Group.
Fred Ernest
Melinda Shah
Symbolism in Cemeteries
Join Krista Horrocks of the State Historic Preservation Office (and the Ohio History Connection’s resident cemetery expert) to learn the language of gravestones. Ever wonder what the mysterious symbols on old gravestones mean? Krista will help us decipher them and give us a window into historical ideas about death and the afterlife. Approved for 1.00 LU Credit.
Krista Horrocks
Corporate Site Selection & Quality of Place
For many companies choosing where to locate a facility, the cost of doing business and economic development incentives at a site are only part of the equation. With the challenge of recruiting a high-quality workforce, many corporate site location projects also measure the quality of place of a region. Regions with affordable housing, vibrant downtowns, walkable communities, parks, and green space are attractive to a wide range of the workforce of the future. The Montrose Group has created a Quality of Place index that can be part of their corporate site location process. Regions such as Newark, Ohio are working to address their quality of place through a redevelopment of their Downtown with the historic Newark Arcade at the center of that effort. Leaders from the Montrose Group will provide an outline of how their Quality of Place index works and Newark Development Partners will provide an overview of the vision and public and private sector funding that has turned that vision into a reality at the Newark Arcade during their panel presentation at the Heritage Ohio Annual Conference. Approved for 1.00 LU Credit.
David Robinson
“Pay Me Now or Pay Me ‘much more’ Later”: Helpful Hints for Maintaining Historic Buildings
We’ve all heard the term and have faced the issue of “demolition by neglect” in our communities. As structures age, building materials begin to fail. Mortar crumbles, paint coatings fail and leaks develop in roofs. In fact, ALL building materials have a life span, but in some cases that life span can be extended with proper maintenance or unfortunately fail prematurely with lack of or improper maintenance. This session will focus on some typical problems faced by commercial buildings in a downtown setting focusing on why some of these common problems happen and offer some telltale signs that should alert building owners of impending severe problems. Approved for 1.00 AIA HSW Credit.
David Mertz
Frank Quinn
Revitalizing Your Community When No Developer is on the Way
Stop waiting on a developer to save your community! They may never come. But what can you do? Learn what the community of Ottawa did to start their downtown revitalization process locally and see the results of their hard work. Approved for 1.00 LU Credit.
Amy Sealts
Jacqueline Langhals
Tour: Downtown Newark Tour
Join Nathalie Wright & Jeff Gill for a tour of downtown Newark that spans the centuries. Approved for 2.25 LU Credit. This tour is sponsored by OHM Advisors and the Huseman Group. TICKET REQUIRED. This tour is sponsored by OHM Advisors and the Huseman Group.
Nathalie Wright
Jeff Gill
Tour: Dawes Arboretum
Tour the historic Dawes Arboretum during peak fall color season! The arboretum has everything from historic sites, 2,000 acres of parkland to explore, and offers a unique experience of Ohio's history. Each ticket holder will be permitted to tour the grounds at their leisure following the wagon tour. Self-transport to arboretum. TICKET REQUIRED. Approved for 2.00 LU Credit. This tour is sponsored by OHM Advisors and the Huseman Group.
Workshop: Surveying Home & Workplaces: Conducting a Community Survey Using the Ohio Historic Inventory
Learn tips for conducting survey of residential neighborhoods and downtown commercial districts. After an introduction to the Ohio Historic Inventory, attendees will venture out into downtown Newark and will practice surveying and documenting historic buildings in the central business district. Approved for 2.00 LU Credit.
Carrie Simmons
Petra Knapp
Utilizing Substitute Materials in Historic Preservation Projects
Substitute materials are being utilized more in historic rehab projects, but how do you decide when it is appropriate to use them in your project? Architect Sanyog Rathod will share some of the industry's best practices for selecting and using substitute materials in projects.
Sanyog Rathod
Pick Your Plan
Have you ever been confused by all the different kinds of planning documents out there? Ever looked on your shelf and wondered why you have so many plans? Do you know you need help, but have trouble navigating acronyms and professional jargon? Ever wish you could just talk with someone about what you need without feeling like you’re being upsold? Join us for this session where we’ll review different kind of planning documents, help you understand why each is important, what it does (and does not) do for you, and how you can get the most out of your planning experience.
Craig Gossman
Danielle Steinhauser
The Shifting Landscape of Advocacy in Ohio
Republican Gene Krebs and Democrat Sean Logan, both former Ohio House members, discuss the shifting landscape of policy advocacy in Ohio, the forces involved and how to best approach your local elected officials, using the time-tested techniques plus new approaches. With decades of experience and hard knocks, these two friends discuss how to advocate, and then open up the floor to listen to the problems advocates are encountering in their communities, and offer expert opinions.
Gene Krebs
Sean Logan
Getting Your Community from "Eww" to "Ooo"
Even been to a place that instantly made you say, "Eww"? All of us have. But how do you begin to transform a community that its own residents say that? Mayor Jeff Hall will discuss how he engaged the public to change their perception of Newark's downtown and guided community investments that made residents stop saying "Eww" and started them saying "Ooo" with each new project in the downtown. Approved for 1.00 LU Credit.
Jeff Hall
We hope to see you in downtown newark in october!
