Neighborhood Revitalization Guide

A Toolkit for Preservation in Working Class Historic Neighborhoods Historic Macon Foundation Bette-Lou Brown, Executive Director Christopher Howard, Properties Director

WHY & HOW DO YOU MOVE PRESERVATION • FROM SAVING THE EXCEPTIONAL AND THE SINGULAR

•TO RECOVERING CLASSIC NEIGHBORHOODS ????

Learning from Experience 1980s: rehabbed 60 scattered units in declining, historic AfricanAmerican neighborhood and sold to investors as rental City & Housing Authority subsidy funding Historic Macon the non-profit partner, developer, and interim rental manager This project received a National Trust Honor award in 1988

What We Learned Whole neighborhood is a must – scattered projects do not work Home ownership is key Government funding is a small carrot and a big stick Rental management is the pits

A New Initiative: Rehab for Home ownership Bring new stakeholders/homeowners

into historic neighborhoods Re-create healthy neighborhoods for healthy families Increase public safety.

Rebuild the tax base of the community

1994-99 Huguenin Heights

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Elementary School Mercer University

The Target Area Well defined boundaries.

Small enough to impact a significant number of properties.

Housing stock salvageable and the style definable.

Some points of strength or amenities: university, park, magnet elementary school.

A Business Plan for Home Ownership Survey the entire neighborhood.

– Ownership?

– Condition?

– Owner occupied?

Quietly option enough properties to get neighborhood to 50-60% owneroccupied Price for the market Secure line of credit Identify gap financing Have a realistic business plan before you start

Huguenin Heights 5 blocks cut off by I-75 in 1970 Bordered by Tatnall Square Park & Mercer University Queen Anne & Vernacular Victorian of a variety of sizes Alexander II Magnet Elementary School

Toolkit National Trust as lender until we established a track record for banks NR Revolving Fund 60K Low cost options on properties Mercer University as partner to offer downpayment assistance to staff Historic Tax Abatement Programs for existing low-income homeowners to upgrade: “Xmas in April�

Small grants and donations of materials

Results

Huguenin Heights 16 homes rehabilitated and

sold Home ownership rose to 66% Crime fell 85%

1999-2007 Tatnall Square Heights

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Elementary School Mercer University

Tatnall Square Heights Phase 1 Victorian African-American neighborhood in deep decline A drug dealer’s haven More than 50% of properties in deteriorated condition

Toolkit Mercer University down-payment assistance Historic Tax Credits/Abatement Land Bank Authority – Acquisition of property, removal of liens City of Macon Economic and Community Development Department – Loans to build affordable housing – Down payment assistance for low income buyers Programs for existing low-income homeowners to upgrade Knight Foundation 200K – NR Revolving Fund 250K

Results 17 homes rehabilitated and sold 3 infill houses built and sold Home ownership rose to 90% Crime fell 52%

Tatnall Square Heights received the Margarite N. Williams Award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation for the greatest contribution by an organization to historic preservation in Georgia in 2003

Tatnall Square Heights Phase 2 Deserted inner city land next to a flood plain Liability for revitalized Tatnall Square Heights neighborhood 9 units of new construction And a Dog Park!

Toolkit Mercer University down-payment assistance Historic Tax Credits Land Bank Authority /City of Macon/Bibb County – Acquisition/donation of property – removal of liens Down Payment Assistance: – Federal Home Loan Bank – Department of Community Affairs – City of Macon ECDD

Peyton Anderson Foundation 200K – NR Revolving Fund 300K

One lot donated to Habitat for Humanity Home build by Mercer University Chapter of Habitat Plan modified to fit neighborhood

Get Creative Historic Macon, the Humane Society, dog lovers create Macon’s first dog park Floodplain wasteland becomes amenity and security factor Reva Ann Dame gives $76K bequest in honor of Tyler (who likes the park) Tyler’s Place will have bridge, fire hydrants, regular programming, landscaping

Current Project: Beall’s Hill

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Tatnall Park Elementary School Mercer University Beall’s Hill

The Revitalization Project 30 Block area east of Mercer University Hope VI to replace public housing with mixed income rental town homes Homeownership – new construction & historic rehabs for market rate home ownership – façade improvements for existing low-income homeowners – Hope VI lease to own for low-mod income homebuyers

Overall Project Public Partners Private Partners City of Macon Macon Housing Authority Macon-Bibb County Land Bank Water Authority

Mercer University Beall’s Hill Development Corporation Historic Macon Foundation Habitat for Humanity

Funders City of Macon – 2002 Revenue Bonds $3 million

Housing Authority – 2001 HUD HOPE VI $19.4 million – 2002, 2004 Treasury Tax Credits $17.5 million

Mercer University – 1999, 2002 HUD COPC $550,000 – 2000 Knight Foundation $1.3 million – 2001 Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (with BB&T) $140,000

Alexander II Elementary National Trust used it as the symbol of all historic schools in its list of Eleven Most Endangered Historic Sites Precipitated the renovation and expansion of Georgia’s oldest (1902) continuous-use elementary school

Oglethorpe Homes demolished

Tatnall Place mixed income replacement rental housing

Hope VI Lease to Own

Federal Home Loan Bank very-low income owner-occupied rehab

Toolkit Partners for infrastructure improvements, affordable rental and homeownership, low income owner-occupied rehabs, market rate new construction Historic Macon Foundation concentrate on market-rate historic rehab Mercer University down-payment assistance Historic Tax Credits/Abatement Land Bank Authority /City of Macon/Bibb County – Acquisition/donation of property – removal of liens Knight Foundation 700K – NR Revolving Fund 850K

Neighborhood Amenities Rebuilt Alexander II Elementary, Miller Middle, Central High Magnet Schools Mt. de Sales private, Catholic High School Tattnall Square Park & Tennis Center Macon Dog Park Mercer University Medical Center of Central Georgia Revitalized neighborhoods: Huguenin Heights & Tatnall Square Heights

The Payoff?

An attractive, safe, proud, historic neighborhood New homeowners and an increased tax base A replicable model for other Macon neighborhoods A national exemplar of campus/community partnerships

HISTORIC MACON FOUNDATION Bette-Lou Brown, Executive Director blbrown@historicmacon.org Christopher Howard, Properties Director choward@historicmacon.org

478-742-5084 fax 478-742-2008 www.historicmacon.org