Historic Preservation has been good for Buffalo according to a new report from Washington, D.C. consulting firm PlaceEconomics. Principal Donovan Rypkema presented the report yesterday during a session in the Merriweather Library on Jefferson Avenue.
Rypkema says data shows the city’s 17 National Register and local districts punch above their weight, with 16% of the city’s population, a disproportionate share of the tax revenues going to City Hall and businesses locating in the districts to take advantage of historic commercial neighborhoods. Rypkema says preservationists have to make that connection to policy makers.
“I don't think you have to make them preservationists. You just need them to understand: You don't have to like preservation. Just look at these other elements and you need to help us with the preservation thing because we're trying to reach your goal of: Whatever that is, more jobs, more equity, more whatever, that you use preservation not as an end but a means.”
The report comes as a historic grain elevator complex on the Waterfront is being demolished, after being ignored for decades.
The consultant says the report shows that historic preservation and gentrifying are not the same thing. Rypkema says research in Los Angeles shows little overlap between area of gentrification and preservation.
“Almost suggested to me that the issues like demolition prohibition that maintain a range of housing prices was actually historic districts in that case...and I don't mean to universalize this... at least in that case was almost a defense against gentrification.”
Rypkema says there is another area benefitting from historic preservation and that’s tourism. He says historic tourism brings $658 million in local spending supporting 6,000 local direct jobs and 2,100 indirect jobs because those tourists stay longer and spend more money touring the city’s historic attractions.
