Now the Work Begins for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program
November 15, 2024 | Marla Mills
The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program is provided by Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Department of the Interior, and supported in part by the Historic Preservation Fund. The program supports the rehabilitation and protection of historic properties leading to economic development of rural communities.
As we commonly say to local Main Street Directors and Board Members, “You got the grant now, the work begins.” That is true for MMSC with the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program, which is a reimbursable subgrant that MMSC was awarded in the fall of 2023. MMSC received 27 applications for commercial or mixed-use properties from property owners in designated Main Street districts across the state of Missouri with a population less than 50,000. These 27 applications were competitively scored by a panel of historic preservation professionals from across the state with experience in tax credit financing, Secretary of Interior Standards, architecture, National Register listings, and Main Street.
During scoring, the panel considered factors such as economic impact, financial need, National Register status, and others to ensure that the grant would generate positive change through rehabilitating under-utilized or vacant buildings and foster widespread preservation awareness and education across
Missouri. Through their diligence, on May 29, 2024, thirteen applicants were selected as a subgrantee and would move forward in the grant process with MMSC awarding just over $600,000 to these projects. As it turns out, the financial assistance for the rehabilitation of selected historic properties was distributed to communities in all three of MMSC’s tiers: Accredited, Associate, and Affiliate to facilitate physical improvements that would be more difficult to complete without the grant. These thirteen applicants are located in eight designated Main Street communities across the state of Missouri: Warrensburg, Chillicothe, Cape Girardeau, Excelsior Springs, Clinton, Pleasant Hill, Lebanon, and Ozark.
Now the real work begins! With this subgrant program being funded by the NPS, all work completed by the thirteen subgrantees must follow the Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation and go through technical & environmental review by NPS before any physical work can begin on the project. MMSC partnered with SFS Architecture, as a consultant, to assist the subgrantees and ensure the projects are successful throughout this process. Their support up front in answering project questions regarding the Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation and identifying any issues or concerns that could cause a project delay is invaluable to MMSC and the subgrantees–many whom this is the first time completing a rehabilitation project on their building or working under a grant program.
As of the publishing of this article, three of the thirteen projects are currently being reviewed by NPS with the other ten projects to be submitted when all documentation and final qualifying bids are ready. These projects are on their way to being completed through a process that takes time, which is time well spent as the process ensures that these valuable historic buildings will be protected through the process of getting new life.
Working with National Park Service as a new grant partner has provided a valuable resource to historic properties in Missouri’s Main Street communities. For the first time, MMSC is able to offer direct, significant, financial support to help preserve historic properties through exterior improvements such as new roofs, window rehabilitation or replacement, masonry, and brick work such as repointing and damaged brick replacement. Additionally, other exterior work was approved for more detailed exterior work on railings, columns, lighting, and trim to save the original elements of the buildings.
MMSC’s staff is working diligently to make the program as successful as possible with the hope that MMSC can obtain additional funding in the future to continue the program. But for now, MMSC is proud to be financially supporting the thirteen property owners in their efforts to sustain and protect these historic properties in a way that will impact local economies and the Main Street experience.
