Award-winning “Upstairs, Downtown” workshop on June 4 includes one-of-a-kind tour
CONCORD, NH – A rare glimpse of rehabilitated spaces in the upper floors of downtown historic buildings is being offered as part of an award-winning workshop, “Upstairs Downtown”, scheduled for Thursday, June 4 in Concord. It is designed for building owners, contractors, architects, city officials, preservationists, and downtown professionals. The workshop is being presented by the NH Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA).
“Upstairs, Downtown” will provide information about the redevelopment of the upper floors of downtown buildings. The all-day session will cover architectural and financial topics as well as case studies of successful projects, both locally and nationally. The program will cover local, state and federal financial incentives available to building owners and developers.
Presenters will include national speakers Dan Carmody and Anna Margaret Barris, as well as local experts from the NH Division of Historical Resources, the NH Preservation Alliance, and NH developers and property owners who have successfully rehabilitated upper floor spaces. Registration for the June 4 “Upstairs, Downtown” workshop, which begins at 8:00 AM at the NH Historical Society, located at 30 Park Street, is $75, which includes coffee, lunch, workshop materials and the tour. Visit www.nhcdfa.org or call 603-717-9127 to register. The day will conclude with a self-guided tour of several upper floor spaces in downtown Concord.
The tour is being organized by Main Street Concord, Inc., in conjunction with the “Upstairs, Downtown” workshop being held in Concord that day. Several unique spaces, ranging from residential to offices and even a former theater space, can be seen on the tour. The self-guided tour runs from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. For those that cannot attend the all-day conference, but would still like to take the tour, tickets for the tour alone are $25 each and can be purchased from Main Street Concord, Inc. at 15 Pleasant Street, Suite 14, or on-line at www.mainstreetconcord.com.
“Right now in New Hampshire’s historic downtowns, there are hundreds of buildings with vacant upper floors,” said Sarah DiSano, downtown resource manager for the CDFA. “These spaces are prime candidates for redevelopment because they have a central location, high visibility, and complete community infrastructure.” “Upstairs, Downtown” is an initiative created to help owners reclaim and reuse these vacant upper floors, and turn them into income-producing properties.
The “Upstairs, Downtown” training program was originally developed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency for the Illinois Main Street program and will be facilitated by Dan Carmody and Anna Margaret Barris. Trained as a city planner and with significant experience as an independent business owner, Carmody is currently president of the Eastern Market Corporation in Detroit. Barris has been a project designer for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency since 2001, and works with the Illinois Main Street program, providing architectural assistance and training to almost 70 communities across the state.
The event is sponsored by Public Service of New Hampshire, Altus Investment Group, Chris W. Closs and Co., and John Jordan Design.
CDFA, created by legislation in 1983, is a nonprofit public instrumentality of the State of New Hampshire. CDFA administers over $30 million in funding resources, which includes a combination of state tax credits, CDBG, and Neighborhood Stabilization funding. CDFA supports affordable housing and economic development activities that benefit low- and moderate-income citizens. For more information about CDFA or to register for the workshop visit its web site at www.nhcdfa.org.
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