Sessions and Speakers – 2017 NY Preservation Conference
Thursday, April 6th
Click on the session titles and speaker names to expand full descriptions and speaker bios.
PRE-CONFERENCE TRAINING
Sponsored by the Village of Pittsford and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
9:00 – 11:00 AM
[expand title=”A Solar Future for Preservation“]“What’s the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” – Henry David Thoreau Solar installations have become much more commonplace in NYS as the economic and environment costs of traditional energy sources continue to rise. However, the deployment of solar panels on historic buildings and districts has significantly lagged behind. This can be blamed upon the unresolved questions presented by our understanding of industrial society’s impacts on the environment, the availability of technological solutions to potentially avoid a climate disaster, and the need for our society to protect historic architecture. Session moderator Mike Governale of Reconnect Rochester will engage with local solar, design, and preservation experts to discuss strategies to allow solar panels and historic preservation to co-exist. This session is designed to stimulate discussion through Q&A with the panelists and audience members.[/expand]
[expand title=”David Beinetti, AIA, LEED AP BD+C | President, SWBR Architects”]
David Beinetti is the President of SWBR Architects. He received a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Syracuse University, and studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, England. David is involved with overall project management from inception to occupancy, including facility planning, programming, architectural design and coordination of all building systems. He is experienced in both renovation/alteration and new construction, and has a broad range of experience in industrial, academic, medical, research, recreational and office occupancy facilities. He has experience working with construction management, design-build, and fast-track project delivery methods.[/expand]
[expand title=”Maria Huot | Chairperson, Village of Pittsford Architectural & Preservation Review Board”]
Maria Huot has been a Village of Pittsford resident with her husband Glen and son Marco since 1999. Maria is a graduate of the Pontificia Bolivariana University School of Architecture class of 1990. She has practiced as an Architect and taught university Architecture courses with a focus on History of Art and History of Architecture in Colombia, South America. Today, she is a certified Technology teacher, within the Brighton Central School District, who teaches Architectural Design and Drafting.[/expand]
[expand title=”David Matthews | Owner, DesignOne Architecture and Planning”]
David Matthews formed DesignOne Architecture and Planning in January 2015. He earned a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Architecture from Kent State University (1993), and holds Professional Architecture Registration in New York and Arizona. David gained his LEED Accreditation in 2008, is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the United States Green Building Council. His professional career includes 14 years in Arizona and 8 years in New York State.[/expand]
[expand title=”Doug Weishaar | SunCommon”]
Doug Weishaar joined the SunCommon team in the Spring of 2014 and immediately made a major impact. In his sales position he has single handedly turned SunCommon into a residential PV power house in the Greater Rochester Area. Coupled with his commercial sales, Doug has grown our presence by leaps and bounds. In business since 2002, SunCommon (formerly Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. SED) is a solar energy provider. SunCommon achieved status as a Certified B Corp in 2015.[/expand]
11:00 AM – Tour of historic building in Pittsford, led by Village of Pittsford Mayor, Robert Corby
12:00 PM – LUNCH ON YOUR OWN
1:00 – 4:00 PM
[expand title=”Certified Local Government Training: Preservation Theory & Planning Fundamentals“]
This session will provide background information on Preservation Theory and Planning and Preservation Fundamentals Training with participant review of a preservation project.[/expand]
[expand title=”Katie Eggers Comeau | Bero Architecture PLLC”]
Katie Eggers Comeau is the architectural historian at Bero Architecture. Her projects throughout western and central New York include historic resource surveys, National Register nominations, and tax credit applications. A native of the Rochester area, she previously worked at a preservation consulting firm in Washington, D.C., and at the Landmark Society of Western New York. She is also a trustee of the National Association for Olmsted Parks and frequently gives presentations on Rochester’s Olmsted legacy.[/expand]
[expand title=”Virginia Searl, RA | Bero Architecture PLLC”]
Virginia Searl is a registered architect in New York state and partner in Bero Architecture PLLC. She has 20+ years of practical preservation experience, from project planning and structure assessment through implementation and construction projects. She served on the Village of Pittsford’s Architectural and Preservation Review Board for 12 years, 10 years serving as chair.[/expand]
Friday, April 7th
Conference Sessions
Click on the session titles and speaker names to expand full descriptions and speaker bios.
SESSION BLOCK 1: 9:00-10:15 AM
1A: [expand title=”Digital Documentation: Surveying Historic Resources in the 21st Century“]
Digital technology is changing the way preservation professionals identify and document historic resources. Twenty-first-century mobile devices and GPS make it possible for anyone with a cell phone or tablet to collect data on thousands of properties in the span of weeks or months, but this process brings its own challenges in organization and analysis of vast amounts of information. In this session, managers of large-scale surveys currently underway upstate and downstate will share how they have incorporated mobile devices into their survey methodology. Both teams will share the innovative tools and interdisciplinary approaches they have developed to ensure that as field work becomes more efficient, research and critical thinking remain central to the process.[/expand]
[expand title=”Katie Eggers Comeau | Architectural Historian, Bero Architecture PLLC”]
Katie Eggers Comeau is the architectural historian at Bero Architecture, PLLC, a full-service architectural firm focused on historic preservation and rehabilitation. Her projects throughout western and central New York include historic resource surveys, National Register nominations, and tax credit applications. A native of the Rochester area, she previously worked at a preservation consulting firm in Washington, D.C., and at the Landmark Society of Western New York. She is a trustee of the National Association for Olmsted Parks and frequently gives presentations on Rochester’s Olmsted legacy.[/expand]
[expand title=”Justin DiVirgilio | President, Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc.”]
Justin DiVirgilio is the President and co-owner of Hartgen, a cultural resource management firm focusing on archeological investigations and historic resource survey and documentation. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he began his career in CRM during the late 1990s when he participated in several large-scale urban archeological projects in Albany NY that illuminated various aspects relating to the city’s military, commercial, industrial, and social history. Since assuming a role in the company’s management, he has led Hartgen’s transition to near paperless operation and has sought to improve work flows through the use of technology, including mobile computing.[/expand]
[expand title=”Caitlin Meives | Preservation Planner, The Landmark Society of Western New York”]
Caitlin Meives is the Preservation Planner on staff at The Landmark Society of Western New York, a regional not-for-profit historic preservation organization based in Rochester and serving a nine county area in western New York. Caitlin holds a MS in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont. Prior to her employment at The Landmark Society in 2010, she served as the Survey Coordinator at the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office. As the Preservation Planner at The Landmark Society, Caitlin works directly with municipal officials, developers, neighborhood and community advocates, and property owners of all types to assist in the rehabilitation and revitalization of historic buildings, structures, landscapes, and communities.[/expand]
[expand title=”Michael Ross | GIS Coordinator, City of Rochester”]
Mike Ross is the Geographic Information Systems Coordinator for the City of Rochester, NY. He is responsible for managing the City’s Enterprise GIS platform, and for leading GIS program development across multiple departments. Mike also serves on the NY State Geospatial Advisory Council, is a past president of GIS/SIG, and a former Local Government Committee Chair for the NY State GIS Association.[/expand]
[expand title=”Walter H. Wheeler | Senior Architectural Historian, Hartgen Archeological Associates, Inc.”]
Walter R. Wheeler has over thirty years of experience in the architectural field, having begun his career with positions at the Office of the State Architect and Wagoner & Reynolds Architects, both in Albany, NY. He joined Hartgen in 1999, serving as the firm’s Senior Architectural Historian. Mr. Wheeler has authored numerous scholarly articles and two monographs on New York State architecture. He is currently at work on a book for SUNY Press, which will document the vernacular architecture of the upper Hudson and lower Mohawk valleys. He sits on the boards of several preservation-related groups including the Dutch Barn Preservation Society and the Society for the Preservation of Hudson Valley Vernacular Architecture, and he chairs the Historic Review Commission of the City of Troy.[/expand]
1B: [expand title=”Niagara Falls: Restoring Our Nation’s First State Park“]
Created in 1885, Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the nation. Each year, more than 8 million visitors come from across the world to wonder at the Falls awesome power and natural beauty. Additionally, the park and Falls are one of New York’s most important conservation legacies. The Niagara Falls State Park revitalization plan is a multi-year commitment to transform the park and better reflect noted park designer Frederick Law Olmsted and others vision for the landscape. This session will provide an overview of the Falls history with noted historian Tom Yots and take a look at the restoration plan with NYS Parks Niagara Region Director Mark Thomas. Julian Adams, director of the Division for Historic Preservation Community Preservation Services Bureau, will emcee and provide information with how historic preservation played a key role in this ongoing and visionary restoration.[/expand]
[expand title=”Julian Adams | Director, Community Preservation Services Bureau, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation”]
Julian Adams is the Director of the Community Preservation Services Bureau for the New York State Historic Preservation Office. A native of Georgia, he holds a Masters of Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia at Athens. He started New York State service in 1988, when he took a job in the SHPO’s Technical Services Unit, overseeing rehabilitation and restorations across New York State under federal and state programs. In 2013 was named Director of the Bureau of Community Preservation Services, overseeing several state and federal programs, including the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit, Certified Local Government program, National Register, Survey, and Capital Programs. [/expand]
[expand title=”Mark Thomas | Western District Director, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation”]
Mark Thomas came to New York State in 1975 after completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation and Parks Administration from the University of Illinois. From 1975-1982 Mark held the position of Director of the SUNY Brockport Fancher Campus. From 1992-1997 Mark was elected to and served as both Town Councilman and Town Supervisor seats on the Town of Pomfret Town Board. He was elected to two-terms as Chautauqua County Executive (1998-2005). In his current position as Western District Director for NYS OPRHP, Mark is the chief administrator of 40 State Park facilities over 10 western New York counties. [/expand]
[expand title=”Tom Yots | Director of Municipal Services, Preservation Studios”]
Tom Yots has been active in the Buffalo Niagara Region serving as Niagara Falls City Historian and chair of its Historic Preservation Commission for nearly 10 years and he was a Commissioner on the Niagara Frontier State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission from 2013 to 2015. He has co-authored two books about the Niagara region, The Power Trail, History of Hydroelectricity at Niagara and Olmsted in Buffalo and Niagara. Mr. Yots is currently the Director of Municipal Services at Preservation Studios. Mr. Yots established Preservation Studios in 2002 after completing his Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning. Since that time, he has been actively involved in his local preservation community as both a concerned citizen and preservation consultant. Mr. Yots was a founding board member of the not-for-profit Preservation Buffalo Niagara and served on its Board of Trustees and Executive Committee from the beginning of the organization until 2012 when he was appointed Executive Director. He served in that position for two years before retiring from the non-profit and returning to Preservation Studios. Prior to his work with Preservation Studios, Mr. Yots enjoyed a long, fulfilling career as a High School chemistry teacher in the Lewiston Porter School District. He lives in Buffalo’s Elmwood Village with his wife, Louise.[/expand]
1C: [expand title=”The Requiem of Black Leisure Places: A case study for preservation and piety of the historic Black resort community movement created during the Jim Crow Era“]
Explore Black leisure developments in Sag Harbor, New York created as opposition to Jim Crow, which gave Blacks access to waterfront recreation. These developments are currently under siege and have become a hotbed for developer spec houses that have changed the character of the communities and void the cultural and architectural significance of these developments that have lasted for more than 70 years, unlike their counterpart Black resort communities like Idlewind and Hilton Head. These developments have plethora of first, iconic and cultural ambassadors, professional Black that lived, worked, and vacationed in the developments including, Langston Hughes, Lena Horn, Tuskegee airman Roscoe Brown and Amaza Lee Meredith, “One of the Nation’s First Documented African-American Female Architects” who designed two homes in Sag Harbor’s Azurest community which is slated for demolition. How do you preserve a moving target?[/expand]
[expand title=”Dr. Georgette Grier-Key | Executive Director, Eastville Community Historical Society”]
Dr. Grier-Key is currently the Executive Director and Chief Curator of Eastville Community Historical Society of Sag Harbor, New York, and consulting historian for various municipalities and projects, the Vice President of the Association of Suffolk County Historical Societies, Founding member of the Pyrrhus Concer Action Committee (PCAC) and the PCAC organizer, and Cultural Partner for Sylvester Manor of Shelter Island, New York. Dr. Grier-Key is also an adjunct history and political science professor and Nassau Community College. She has been a guest curator at various outlets, namely Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum, the Sara Nightingale Gallery of Watermill, New York and the Suffolk County Historical Society of Riverhead, New York. [/expand]
1D: [expand title=”Piano in a Fishbowl: Preservation by Necessity at the Port Authority Bus Terminal“]
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the world’s busiest. But it has a problem: Dubbed “New York’s Most Hated Building” by Architizer, it’s dated, dingy, and deteriorating. “As if Hell had a Hell,” quipped comedian John Oliver. Any replacement was decades away. “We are so out of our league, we don’t know what the hell we’re doing,” said one Port Authority commissioner.
In the interim, Adrian Untermyer, Deputy Director of the Historic Districts Council, thought a piano could make things better. He scoped out a location, arranged a partnership with two nonprofits, and arranged for coverage in The New York Times. Today, the music soothes the nerves of hundreds of thousands and makes a prominent case of “preservation-by-necessity” just a little more tolerable. Join Untermyer as he explains how he achieved this outcome and shares lessons learned for preservationists looking beyond the “Save This!” model.[/expand]
[expand title=”Adrian Untermyer | Deputy Director, Historic Districts Council”]
Adrian Untermyer is Deputy Director of the Historic Districts Council, a New York City-based advocacy organization that represents a network of over 500 community-based groups and fights to preserve, improve, and celebrate the places that make the city great. Mr. Untermyer holds a Master of Public Administration from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Arts in Metropolitan Studies from the University’s College of Arts and Science, where he was a University Honors Scholar and a recipient of the Founders Day Award. He is also a passionate transit advocate, and was named an Emerging Leader in Transportation by the Rudin Center in 2015. Born in Illinois and raised in Connecticut, Mr. Untermyer lives inches away from the Grand Concourse Historic District in the Bronx.[/expand]
SESSION BLOCK 2: 10:30-11:45 AM
2A:[expand title=”Historic Tax Credits and Affordable Housing”]
One of the largest areas of growth for the federal and NYS Commercial Historic Tax Credit programs has been the combination of the historic credits with affordable housing incentives. Across NYS, landmark buildings are being transformed to create dynamic housing for seniors, artists, individuals and families. Representatives from the NYS Division for Historic Preservation, NYS Homes & Community Renewal, and the firm of Cannon Heyman & Weiss will present the basics of their programs and provide guidance on how to package the incentives to unlock the potential to revitalize underutilized historic buildings in your community. This program will include an overview of the Eastman Gardens adaptive reuse, an excellent example that combined these resources here in Rochester. As part of the conference program, a tour of the Eastman project will be offered on Saturday. [/expand]
[expand title=”Julian Adams | Director, Community Preservation Services Bureau, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation”]
Julian Adams is the Director of the Community Preservation Services Bureau for the New York State Historic Preservation Office. A native of Georgia, he holds a Masters of Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia at Athens. He started New York State service in 1988, when he took a job in the SHPO’s Technical Services Unit, overseeing rehabilitation and restorations across New York State under federal and state programs. In 2013 was named Director of the Bureau of Community Preservation Services, overseeing several state and federal programs, including the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit, Certified Local Government program, National Register, Survey, and Capital Programs. [/expand]
Stephanie Benson | Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Edgemere Development, Inc.
[expand title=”Timmon M. Favaro | Cannon Heyman & Weiss, LLP”]
Timmon M. Favaro concentrates his practice in the areas of community development and affordable senior and multi-family housing development law, utilizing various tax driven development incentives including among others the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, the New Market Tax Credit, the Federal and New York Historic Tax Credit, the New York Brownfield Tax Credit, and tax exempt bond structured financings.
Mr. Favaro was born in Ithaca, New York, on December 1979 and was admitted to practice law in New York in 2006. He received his education at Ithaca College (B.A. Finance magna cum laude, 2002) and the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law (J.D. cum laude with Certificate in Finance Transactions, 2005) where he was a Fellow and Executive Editor of the Buffalo Criminal Law Review, received the Tom Headrick “Trees and Forest” award for excellence in corporate finance, and was a two-year member of the Buffalo School of Law’s Affordable Housing Clinic. Most recently, Mr. Favaro was named to Business First of Buffalo’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2016.[/expand]
[expand title=”Leonard Skrill | Assistant Commissioner, NYS Homes & Community Renewal”]
Leonard Skrill is the Upstate Director for Capital Director for NYS Homes and Community Renewal. Mr. Skrill works with Finance and Development staff in NYS HCR Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany offices in implementing the agency’s affordable housing agenda. He achieves the agency’s agenda by working with prospective sponsors and their development teams, local governments, state and federal agencies on proposed projects. He coordinates a team of agency staff that reviews proposal for funding and helps implement approved projects as they go from award to construction completion and occupancy. Mr. Skrill has BA in Economics from SUNY at Buffalo and has worked with NYS HCR for 32 years.[/expand]
2B: [expand title=”Hamlin Park Historic District, Buffalo, NY: Historic Preservation Case Study“]
Hamlin Park Historic District, Buffalo, NY: Historic Preservation Case Study. Hamlin Park, a local and National Register-listed historic district located in Buffalo, NY’s near East Side, offers an interesting historic preservation case study. This session will: (a) measure the impacts of local and federal historic districting on the urban neighborhood, (b) will discuss the effectiveness of the City’s homesteading program and (c) will analyze the use of the residential and commercial historic tax credit programs within the district.[/expand]
The Hamlin Park Community & Taxpayers Association
[expand title=”Derek King | Principal, Architectural Historian, Preservation Studios, LLC”]
Derek King joined Preservation Studios in 2012, becoming a partner at the company in 2013. Originally from New Hampshire, he quickly grew enamored with the interesting histories tied to the many beautiful buildings in Buffalo. He is an Executive Board Member for the Citizens for Regional Transit (CRT), as well as an active member of Buffalo’s Young Preservationists. Derek has a B.A. from St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY, double-majoring in History and Anthropology with a minor in Global Studies.[/expand]
[expand title=”Michael Puma | Principal, Project Manager, Preservation Studios, LLC”]
Michael Puma works directly with developers and architects to formulate comprehensive rehabilitation plans that conform to the Department of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. He joined Preservation Studios in 2011, became a partner at the company in 2013, and holds a B.A in Environmental Design with a minor in Architecture from the University of Buffalo. Michael is active in his historic neighborhood of Hamlin Park where he works with long time residents to continue beautification and stabilization efforts. He purchased a home from the city’s demolition list in the historic district and has been lovingly restoring it since 2014.[/expand]
[expand title=”Jason Yots | Principal, President, Preservation Studios, LLC”]
Jason Yots works with owners, developers and municipalities to develop innovative historic preservation projects. Beginning with feasibility-analysis, Jason helps our clients create – and then fund – their preservation projects. He joined Preservation Studios in 2008, after 12 years as a tax credit and community development attorney. Jason lives in Buffalo with his wife and two sons.[/expand]
2C: [expand title=”Matton Shipyard: Planning for Adaptive Reuse“]
The Matton Shipyard is a rare, surviving example of a civilian owned shipyard which operated from 1916 to 1983. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2009) the shipyard is located on Van Schaick Island at the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. The shipyard constructed both wooden and steel hulled vessels including barges and tugs, as well as submarine chasers during WWII. The adaptive reuse master plan addresses the extant buildings and potential vessels to be moored on the Hudson as well as programming for public use and access to the water. The plan will include resiliency measures for flood events. Operational and financially sustainability are a key component of the planning effort and essential to telling the story of shipyard, its people and the industrial legacy. [/expand]
[expand title=”William Price, RLA | Fisher Associates”]
William Price is a Vice President and Sr. Landscape Architect with Fisher Associates, a Planning, Landscape Architecture and Engineering firm that employs 120 design professionals in five offices across Upstate New York and Western Pennsylvania. With over twenty-five years of experience in historic preservation, site design and project management, Bill directs Fisher’s planning and landscape architecture studios. The foundation of his career have been waterfront redevelopment and historic preservation projects such as High Falls and Brown’s Race in the City of Rochester, the City of Geneva Waterfront, the City of Ithaca’s Cayuga Inlet and the City of Troy’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan.[/expand]
[expand title=”Virginia Searl, RA | Bero Architecture, PLLC”]
Virginia Searl is a registered architect in New York state and partner in Bero Architecture PLLC. She has 20+ years of practical preservation experience, project from planning and structure assessment through implementation as construction projects. She served on the Village of Pittsford’s Architectural and Preservation Review Board for 12 years, 10 years serving as chair. [/expand]
[expand title=”Brian Yates | Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor”]
Brian Yates is the Program Manager at the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Since joining the staff in 2016, Brian has taken leadership and support roles in several projects and programs related to historic preservation, tourism and promotion, heritage development, and community revitalization. These include the new Erie Canalway – Mohawk River Historic Water Trail, the Events and Festivals Sponsorship Program, and assisting with the historic Matton Shipyard Preservation and Adaptive Reuse Initiative.
Prior to joining the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, Brian earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Florida State University, Department of Anthropology where he served in the Academic Diving Program as an active inter-disciplinary science diver and instructor. Brian began his professional career in historic preservation as an Archeological Technician with the National Park Service Southeast Archeological Center while in graduate school. Subsequently, he served as Archeologist and Program Manager with the State of Florida Historic Preservation Office, as Historic Preservation Specialist with the New York State Historic Preservation Office, as Archeologist at the Saratoga National Historical Park, and continues to work part-time as a professional Triathlete and Endurance Coach for local groups, Veteran programs, and individual clients.[/expand]
2D: [expand title=”Assessing and Repairing Historic Masonry“]
What should an owner know about the process of assessing and restoring historic masonry? This session, co-presented by a preservation architect and a masonry restoration contractor will answer that question. Focusing on brick, stone, and terra cotta masonry as used in 19th and early 20th century construction it will examine the following:
- Brick Masonry and Mortar – why bricks differ and causes of failure; discussion of the different mortar types; and examples of repair.
- Stone Masonry – Comparison of various stone types, types of failure and repair, and what to do if the original material is not available.
- Terra Cotta – Typical details and failures; repair options; and alternate materials.
- Selecting an Architect and Contractor – Qualification based selection and public bidding; What you should expect from your architect and contractor[/expand]
[expand title=”Scott Lupini | Lupini Construction”]
Scott Lupini has been in the masonry preservation business for over 34 years. Scott began working for the founders of the company, Max and Betty Lupini, at age 12, starting as a laborer and working his way up to co-owner in 1999. Over the course of his career, he has been privileged to work with many customers such as West Point Military Academy, Hamilton College, Colgate University, University of Rochester, State of New York OGS, numerous religious groups, and many local and state and federal authorities including the National Park Service.[/expand]
[expand title=”Mark Thaler, AIA | Lacey Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation”]
Mark Thaler has focused his 30 year architectural career on the rehabilitation, restoration, and adaptive reuse of historic structures. A Partner in the Albany based firm of Lacey Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation, he has had the privilege of being responsible for the restoration design of numerous landmark structures around the United States, including buildings at Ellis Island, Valley Forge, the Washington State Capitol, and numerous colleges and universities around the country, including Princeton University, U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and Cornell University. He has lectured widely on issues of preservation technology and energy conservation in historic buildings, and has contributed to the re-writing of Preservation Brief #3 by the National Park Service.[/expand]
SESSION BLOCK 3: 1:00-2:30 PM
3A: [expand title=”Tools of the Trade: Strategies for Preserving the Traditional Trades“][/expand]
[expand title=”Crystal Bossio | Executive Director, Willowbank School of Restoration Arts”]
Crystal Bossio is the Executive Director at Willowbank School of Restoration Arts, her alma mater. Crystal started her career in conservation in Ottawa on the Horticulture Building. At Willowbank amongst other tasks she is overseeing the infrastructure upgrades to the Estate House. She assures us that though she loves to put Historic Places back together again, her background in theology and the humanities really do make her a consummate romantic who is often found discussing with colleagues and students the importance of capturing and conveying and crafting the ‘spirit of place’. [/expand]
NYS Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson
[expand title=”Tim Forster | Division Director, HeartWood Fine Windows and Doors, Rochester Colonial Manufacturing”]
Tim Forster joined Rochester Colonial in June of 2002, and soon after took the reins of their HeartWood Fine Windows and Doors group as Division Director. HeartWood specializes in the design and manufacturing of extremely fine, traditionally constructed wood windows and doors for both residential and institutional applications. In his role Tim has guided HeartWood to national prominence in terms of both product excellence and innovation, working with some of the nation’s most renowned traditional architects. Their products can be found on prestigious estates and institutions across the US including Yale University, West Point, the Bank of Boston, the New Victory Theater (NYC), Albany Institute of History & Art, the Arthur Blank Family Foundation (Atlanta), the Otesaga Hotel (Cooperstown), the Buckley School (NYC), the Frick Collection (NYC), and Old Parkland Hospital (Dallas). Locally their products are found throughout the community at locations such as the Wesleyan Chapel (Seneca Falls), Geva Theater, and the George Eastman House. A graduate of Oberlin College in Physics and Mathematics, Tim is also an active musician and music producer in the Rochester area. [/expand]
[expand title=”Steve Jordan | Preservation Specialist and author of The Window Sash Bible”]
Steve Jordan has been in the old-house repair and restoration business for forty years and has exclusively repaired and restored thousands of windows over the past twelve years. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s Historic Preservation Program and was a contributing editor for Old-House Journal for 17 years. He was formerly rehab advisor for The Landmark Society of Western New York and an architectural conservator for Bero Architecture. Steve is the author of The Window Sash Bible, the award-winning Rehab Rochester: A Sensible Guide for Old-House Maintenance, Repair, and Rehabilitation (The Landmark Society of Western New York, Rochester, NY, 1995) and co-author of Painting Kitchens: How to Choose and Use the Right Paint for Your Kitchen Walls, Ceilings, Floors, Cabinets, Countertops, and Appliances (Quarry Books, Gloucester, MA, 2004). Steve grew up in rural West Tennessee, attended Memphis State University, and now lives and works in Rochester, New York. Steve has worked on many distinctive and significant historic sites providing various services including window repairs and consulting, graining and marbling, and condition inspections specifically related to historic building material conservation.[/expand]
[expand title=”Michael Lynch | Division Director, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation”]
Michael Lynch is a restoration architect and preservation engineer with over four decades of experience, half of which has been in public service at the New York State Historic Preservation Office. During his first 21 years at Parks, Michael reviewed hundreds of preservation grant projects, millions of dollars worth of tax credit rehabilitations (including the first certified rehab in the country in Rochester), and countless DOT bridge and parkway projects. Michael departed Parks in 1999 to take on a new assignment as the Vice President for Properties and Preservation at SPENA (now Historic New England), followed by twelve years in private practice, first with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, then as a partner in the New York City-based firm of Kaese & Lynch Architecture and Engineering. Michael returned to Parks in April 2016 as Director of the Division for Historic Preservation and serves as the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer. His outside professional activities have included service on many boards, including the Association for Preservation Technology International. He is currently the Chair of the Advisory Council for Chesterwood, a Property of the National Trust.[/expand]
[expand title=”Professor Dave Mertz | Building Preservation/Restoration Technology, Belmont College”]
Professor David R. Mertz serves as the director of the Building Preservation/Restoration Program at Belmont College in St. Clairsville, OH, a post he has held since the program’s inception in 1989. The Belmont Program is seen as a national model for trades-based technical education in historic preservation and has been copied across the country. Mr. Mertz has been an active participant in the development of historic preservation on a local, state and national level. He has served four years as Chair of the National Council for Preservation Education, the consortium of colleges and universities that offer undergraduate and graduate programs in historic preservation, and four years as Chair Emeritus. He has served on the advisory board of the Preservation Leadership Institute of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the editorial board of Preservation Forum, the nation’s scholarly journal on Historic Preservation and has authored numerous articles in national publications relating to trades education. He has served as a board member and vice-president for both Heritage Ohio and the Ohio Preservation Alliance, Ohio’s two state-wide preservation non-profits. Mertz has served as Vice-President and President of the Preservation Trades Network and was awarded their 2014 Askins Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the Preservation Trades. He currently serves as editor of PTNnews. He is a graduate of Kansas State University with a bachelors and masters degree in architecture and a certificate in Regional & Community Planning. Mertz lectures frequently on building pathology and American architectural history. [/expand]
[expand title=”Amy Nicole Swift | Principal & Owner, Building Hugger”]
Amy Nicole Swift is a “recovering architect” with a passion for historic architecture and working with her hands. In 2012 she formed Building Hugger in an effort to create skilled jobs and provide more accessible preservation trades services to her home city of Detroit. As a Professor of Practice at Lawrence Technological University, fieldwork informs her developing academic theories concerning the development of architectural material technology and construction methods during the industrial era. She holds a BS in Interior Architecture from Lawrence Technological University and a MS in Historic Preservation from Columbia University. She speaks widely on current preservation topics and has been published in major industry journals. She is a Tory Burch Fellow and has been featured in Glamour magazine. [/expand]
Moderated by: [expand title=” Clinton Brown, FAIA | Principal, Clinton Brown Company Architecture, pc”]
Clinton Brown, FAIA, is an heritage architect at Clinton Brown Company Architecture, the leading full service historic preservation architecture and grant services firm whose focus is renewing heritage places by attracting new investment and creating new performance. He serves on the board of the Richardson Center Corp that is rehabilitating the former Buffalo Asylum, has been appointed by three Secretaries of the Interior to the state-wide Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission and serves on the board of the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts in Canada. [/expand]
3B: [expand title=”Building Relocation as Historic Preservation: Pros and Cons“]
When buildings are threatened with demolition, preservation professionals typically consider moving them as an option of last resort. The National Register criteria “limits the consideration of moved properties because significance is embodied in locations and settings as well as in the properties themselves.” When a property is moved, it loses its relationship with the surroundings, including its archeology and landscaping. There are instances when moving the building serves as the ultimate salvage, preserving not just the building materials, but also the integrity of the building’s design and craftsmanship. The National Park Service has considerations for relocated buildings that can be or remain eligible for the National Register. This panel will discuss building relocation as a strategy for saving buildings, from 19th century folk museums to a Greek Revival house in Ithaca just moved in December 2016. [/expand]
[expand title=”Randall T. Crawford | Licensed Architect and Principal, Crawford & Stearns / Architects and Preservation Planners, PLLC”]
Mr. Crawford is the principal of Crawford & Stearns, Architects and Preservation Planners LLC. In private practice for more than 35 years, he has consulted on numerous historic properties in 9 states & throughout NYS. His principal expertise lies in the areas of historic preservation, adaptive reuse, accessible design, Main Street revitalization, and compliance with regulatory requirements for historic properties. He served as a member of the State Board for Historic Preservation for 7 years, as a panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts, as a panelist for the IMLS Conservation Projects program, as a member of the NYS DOS Existing Building Code Review Committee, and as a member of the Trustees’ Council of the Preservation League of NYS.[/expand]
[expand title=”Kathleen LaFrank | Coordinator, National Register Unit, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation”]
Kathleen LaFrank has a Master of Arts in architecture and design criticism from Parsons School of Design. She is the National Register Coordinator for the New York State Historic Preservation Office with expertise in rural cultural landscapes, state parks, parkways, and modern architecture and cultural resources. Ms. LaFrank also is the author of National Register nominations for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Manitoga (Russel Wright Home and Landscape) and the Taconic State Parkway and has worked on National Register documentation/evaluation projects for the Palisades Interstate Parkway, Whitney Museum of Art, Woodstock Festival Site, and Stonewall.[/expand]
[expand title=”Christine O’Malley | Preservation Services Coordinator, Historic Ithaca, Inc.”]
Christine O’Malley is the Preservation Services Coordinator for Historic Ithaca, serving the city of Ithaca and Tompkins County. She has worked on both local designations and National Register nominations. She previously served on the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission and as a board member of the Vernacular Architecture Forum. She has graduate degrees in Architectural History from the University of Virginia and has taught undergrad level art and architectural history courses.[/expand]
[expand title=”John G. Waite, FAIA | Principal, John G. Waite Associates, Architects, PLLC”]
John G. Waite has worked in planning for and overseeing the restoration of adaptive use of historic buildings, as well as the design of new structures within historic contexts, for over 40 years. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the Association for Preservation Technology International. Since Mr. Waite entered private practice in 1976, his projects have received more than sixty architectural and historic preservation awards. Jack Waite was instrumental in developing and refining the concept of the Historic Structure Report, the recognized tool for gathering essential information for planning a preservation project. Mr. Waite has written more than 50 books and articles. Mr. Waite is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Columbia University.[/expand]
Moderated by: [expand title=”Erin M. Tobin | Director of Preservation, Preservation League of NYS”]
Erin Tobin serves as the Preservation League’s Director of Preservation and has been with the League since 2007. Erin serves as the League’s principal preservation program staff, working directly with local communities, organizations, individuals and elected officials on all aspects of historic preservation and community development. Erin also directs the League’s grant and assistance programs. She previously worked for Historic Albany Foundation, the NY Landmarks Conservancy, and the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Erin holds a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Albany with her husband and three children.[/expand]
3C: [expand title=”Cultural Landscapes Defined…?“]
What exactly is a Cultural Landscape? The definitions provided by the NPS, UNESCO and Westerdahl are vague, focused on the specific agenda of the definition’s author and, as a result, Cultural Landscapes are not fully understood, and have been underutilized as a tool in the practice of historic preservation. This presentation will explore existing definitions and propose a more focused, while at the same time broader, more applicable definition. The presentation will examine previous work juxtaposed against three unique Cultural Landscapes in Buffalo, each with differing character defining features: The Beltline; Scajaquada Creek; and the Outer Harbor. Each case study fits within existing definitions, but expands those definitions to provide insight as to how Cultural Landscapes can be used as a preservation tool in the practice of historic preservation, and asks the question what that tool and application actually is.[/expand]
[expand title=”Sean Burkholder | Assistant Professor of Landscape & Urban Design, School of Architecture & Planning, University at Buffalo, SUNY”]
Sean Burkholder is Assistant Professor of Landscape and Urban Design at the University at Buffalo. Sean’s work coalesces around issues particularly characteristic of the Great Lakes region; including urban vacancy, infrastructural re-purposing, dredge material management and the urban/water interface. This work comes in the form of published research, design projects, public engagement and instructed student work. Underpinning this work is a particular interest in the way in which substrate and ecology influence the urban landscape and how these systems are interpreted by others. Sean holds a degree in Architecture from Miami University and a master’s degree of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.[/expand]
[expand title=”Camden Miller | PhD Student, Graduate Research Assistant, School of Architecture & Planning, University at Buffalo, SUNY”]
Camden Miller is a PhD student in Urban and Regional Planning with a focus on housing, community development, and neighborhood planning. She is working on projects involving the investigation of housing market dynamics (its limitations and exclusion of people of color and low-income) and how we can work toward providing high-quality affordable housing for everyone. She received her Master in Urban Planning with a specialization in Community Development and Neighborhood Planning and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University at Buffalo in 2016. Prior to coming to UB, Camden received her Bachelor of Science in Conservation Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley with a minor in Urban Design and a minor in music.[/expand]
[expand title=”Kerry L. Traynor | kta preservation specialists; Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Architecture & Planning, University at Buffalo, SUNY”]
Kerry Traynor has a diverse background including work in the private & public sectors, as well as in academia. Her experience has included private practice, scholarly research and publication, & teaching at the collegiate level: architecture & landscape architecture history; design & historic preservation theory & award winning preservation planning studios. She is a clinical professor in the School of Architecture and Planning at SUNY Buffalo. She was Restoration Project Manager at the Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office. As principal investigator for architectural history and historic architecture, Kerry is qualified under 36CFR61 & by the Secretary of the Interior (48CFR Part44738-9) for History, Architectural History, Architecture & Historic Architecture & Historic Preservation.[/expand]
3D: [expand title=”Capturing Our Stories: Workshop on Oral History & the Preservation Movement“]
The New York Preservation Archive Project has worked since 1998 to document the history of the preservation movement in New York City. This history is vital to the movement’s health, success, and growth, and provides valuable lessons for new generations of preservationists. Conducting oral histories has become a powerful tool in this mission because much of preservation history is undocumented in written records and can only be found in the memories of individuals. Interviews are one of the only methods of capturing reminiscences of the losses, tactics, and triumphs, and getting at the heart of why historic sites are important. This interactive workshop will provide the tools and resources to execute powerful oral history projects, including first steps, funding sources, and how to build a team and share these narratives. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and examples from their own work to get advice and foster discussion.[/expand]
[expand title=”Liz Strong | Oral History Coordinator, New York Preservation Archive Project”]
Liz Strong is a freelance oral historian working in New York City. She has been the Oral History Coordinator with the New York Preservation Archive Project since the summer of 2015. She has also worked with the Columbia Center for Oral History Research, the NYPD Guardians Association, the Washington State Department of Commerce, and many others. Strong earned a BA in Narrative Arts from Oberlin College in 2009, and an MA in Oral History from Columbia University in 2015.[/expand]
SESSION BLOCK 4: 2:45-4:00 PM
4A: [expand title=”Next Generation of Preservationists“]
Learn how young preservationists are being activated around the Rust Belt region from members of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh, Young Ohio Preservationists and The Landmark Society’s Young Urban Preservationists. Participants will engage with panelists and garner a greater understanding of how preservation is changing. You will also gain the skills needed to excite new audiences by exploring how young people groups are challenging the past to ensure a relevant future for preservation through creative initiatives and partnerships. The Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists is the next step in the young preservationists movement and the activation of historic places on a regional, and hopefully national, stage.[/expand]
[expand title=”Bradley Huber | Young Urban Preservationists”]
Stumbling upon his first home, a Craftsman Bungalow located in the Town of Irondequoit, Bradley Huber spent several years completing a cost-conscious restoration, which was subsequently picked up by This Old House Magazine. Also the President and founder of the Winona Woods Neighborhood Association, Huber has built on that experience as the Neighborhood & Community Development Coordinator for the Town of Irondequoit where he led efforts to launch over a dozen neighborhood associations based on the model he developed. In addition to his work on his home and neighborhood, he serves on the Town Planning Board and as a steering committee member for Rochester’s Young Urban Preservationists. Professionally, a Literacy Specialist in the Rochester City School district, Huber is a strong advocate not only in the interest of preservation but for quality schools, strong neighborhoods, social justice and new urbanism. [/expand]
[expand title=”Sarah Marsom | Young Ohio Preservationists”]
Sarah Marsom grew up collecting Junior Ranger badges at National Parks, which imparted an appreciation for heritage and the impact history has on present day communities that she carries into her work today. Her work with Designing Local emphasizes building community understanding of preservation and ensuring the built environment is conducive to contemporary living while respecting the past. Sarah is the Chair of the Young Ohio Preservationists, a Heritage Ohio board member and Co-Leader of the Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists.[/expand]
[expand title=”Mike Panzitta | Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh”]
Mike Panzitta grew up in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he developed his lifelong love of compact, walkable, historic urban areas. He is a lifetime resident of Pennsylvania, and loves exploring new towns throughout the state. Mike studied civil engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and currently works as a water resources engineer. His background in infrastructure and love of historic urban neighborhoods makes him very good at complaining about car-oriented design, and very insufferable at cocktail parties. Mike is a board member of Pittsburgh’s Young Preservationists Association and lives in a historic district in the city’s North Side.[/expand]
[expand title=”Bernice Radle | Buffalo’s Young Preservationists”]
Bernice Radle is the owner of Buffalove Development and co-owner of Buffalove Management and Little Wheel Restoration Co., a group of companies aimed to do small scale real estate development in Buffalo, NY with a mission driven to embrace preservation, energy efficiency and affordability whenever possible. Buffalove is currently focused on resurrecting approx. 6 million dollars of historic real estate in the Buffalo and Niagara Falls region including opening the first micro brewery in Niagara Falls, NY since 1940. She was the host and rehabber on American Rehab Buffalo (DIY Network & HGTV), is one of five members on the City of Buffalo Zoning Board of Appeals and a VIP with the Buffalo’s Young Preservationists. She is also the creator of the heart bomb project and a founder of the Rust Belt Coalition of Young Preservationists. Follow her – @berniceradle & @buffalovedevelopment[/expand]
4B: [expand title=”The Barn Building Legacy of J.T. Wells & Sons“]
With no formal training as an architect, John Talcott Wells, Sr., a native of Wheatland, New York, patented an innovative arched truss system in 1889. The ultimate problem-solver, Wells constructed soaring, cathedral-like barns with open, uncluttered interior spaces. Freed of the obstacles previously presented by post and beam construction, farmers could roll their hay wagons directly inside a Wells Barn, drastically improving their efficiency.
Between 1886-1942, The Wells Family constructed over 200 barns, spread mostly throughout Western New York. Today, fewer than fifty Wells Barns are still standing – serving as “sentinels of the past” and silent testaments to the ingenuity and craftsmanship of John Talcott Wells, Sr. and his sons.
The Wells Barn Legacy Project’s goals are to bring about greater awareness to the history and architecture of J.T. Wells and Sons and the need to document and preserve the remaining barns.[/expand]
[expand title=”Katie Andres | Wells Barn Legacy Project Coordinator”]
Katie Andres is an educator, an Emmy-Award winning television producer with a passion for local projects, and a Library and Information Sciences graduate candidate. She and her husband recently purchased the former Tobey Homestead in Pittsford, New York and they are pouring their time and talents into bringing the property back to life. She fell in love with her first Wells barn while working weekend weddings at the Avon Century Barn. The awe inspired by the barn’s design, construction, and adaptive reuse served as the catalyst that led her to research the story of its builder, J.T. Wells. Her quest for information led her to historian Barbara Chapman and prompted her to reach out to photographer Dick Thomas for the purpose of documenting the remaining Wells barns in New York State. [/expand]
[expand title=”Barbara Chapman | Wheatland Town Historian”]
Barbara Chapman is an educator whose interest in preservation began when New York State made local history the focus of the fourth grade Social Studies curriculum. She wrote a local history program for the Churchville-Chili schools and served as Town of Chili Historian during the 1980s. Barbara and her husband, Clifford, moved to Wheatland in 1988, where she has written and presented programs and exhibits and conducted school classes and architectural tours for the Wheatland Historical Association. Since 2007, she has served as Deputy Historian and then Historian in the town that was the birthplace of John Talcott Wells and the patented Wells barn truss. [/expand]
[expand title=”Dick Thomas | Photographer, Dick Thomas Photographs of Nature”]
Dick Thomas is a professional photographer specializing in both natural and rural heritage landscapes. He lives with his wife Mary on an old farmstead in Caledonia, New York that they have been lovingly resurrecting. Dick has been photographing barns for years, with the intention of using his images for the preservation of those remaining monuments from the past. His artwork can be viewed at dickthomasphotography.com, or on Facebook at Dick Thomas Photographs of Nature. He is currently working with Katie Andres and Barbara Chapman to bring about a greater awareness of the remaining Wells Barns and the Legacy of J. T. Wells and Sons.[/expand]
4C: [expand title=”The Artist as Architect: 20th Century Artist Houses“]
Historic Preservation and Fine Arts have always shared an innate aesthetic connection. Through the 20th century, several artists built or transformed their homes into works of art themselves, incorporating artwork into the house form. As artists experimented with new materials in the post-WWII era, their houses became demonstrations of new construction techniques and included modern materials as well as the natural environment. This session examines these topics through a close examination of two sites in New York State – the Dorothy Riester House at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in Cazenovia, and Dragonrock at Manitoga in Garrison. These two homes were created by artists as living spaces, inspired by the landscapes around them. As a result, they raise important questions about the unique preservation challenges that can arise at the intersection of modern materials and the natural environment. [/expand]
Allison Cross | Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center
[expand title=”Emily Zaengle | Stone Quarry Hill Art Park”]
Emily Zaengle is the Executive Director of the Stone Quarry Hill Art Park. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University, a Master of Science in Landscape Architecture from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from Syracuse University. Emily sits on the Madison County Cultural Heritage and Tourism committee and the Cazenovia Arts and Heritage Alliance. [/expand]
Moderated by: [expand title=”Frances Gubler | Preservation Associate, Preservation League of New York State”]
Frances Gubler has been providing technical services with the Preservation League of New York State since 2015. She received her Masters degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont and previously worked at Shelburne Museum, the Vermont Historical Society, and the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, but her connection and interest in the arts stems from her days as an undergraduate student in Art History at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. She most enjoys “reading” cultural landscapes and exploring Upstate New York’s various regions. [/expand]
4D: [expand title=”Outdoor Lighting in Historic Districts: Preservation Concerns and Modern Technology“]
The presentation compares the technology and design approaches used for street lighting when it was first introduced to that of the present day. Factors to consider when selecting equipment to optimize the benefits against the costs of street lighting will be discussed. Case studies in two Western NYS counties will be highlighted. One village that has a National Register listed historic district, worked with the State Preservation Office to preserve about 30 gas lights that have been in continual operation since the nineteenth century. Another community installed new compatible streetlights that raised the level of lighting on the sidewalks and slightly decreased the amount of energy used. The presentation will be coauthored by the speaker, Sloane Bullough, and Director of Transportation and Safety Lighting Programs at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, John Bullough.[/expand]
[expand title=”Sloane Bullough | Historic Sites Restoration Coordinator, NYS Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation”]
Sloane Bullough is an Historic Sites Restoration Coordinator at the New York State Historic Preservation Office. She has a master’s degree in building conservation from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor’s degree in historic preservation from Roger Williams University. She reviews construction projects for their potential impact on historic sites. These reviews are part of the state and federal historic preservation tax credit process and part of government agency compliance with state and federal historic preservation law. Sloane has spoken on the topic of outdoor lighting in historic districts at national and regional conferences. She is the lead author on a peer-reviewed paper published by the Transportation Research Board, which is part of the National Academies. [/expand]
KEYNOTE: 4:15-5:30 PM
Breaking Barriers: Reviving Pathways to Careers in the Trades
[expand title=”Amy Nicole Swift | Principal & Owner, Building Hugger”]
Amy is a “recovering architect” with a passion for historic architecture and working with her hands. In 2012 she formed Building Hugger in an effort to create skilled jobs and provide more accessible preservation trades services to her home city of Detroit. As a Professor of Practice at Lawrence Technological University, fieldwork informs her developing academic theories concerning the development of architectural material technology and construction methods during the industrial era. She holds a BS in Interior Architecture from Lawrence Technological University and a MS in Historic Preservation from Columbia University. She speaks widely on current preservation topics and has been published in major industry journals. She is a Tory Burch Fellow and has been featured in Glamour magazine. [/expand]
Saturday, April 8th
Conference Sessions
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
[expand title=”Crowd-Sourcing Your Community:A Panel Led Problem Solving Session“]
Two heads are better than one, right? Well, how about seven? In this session, a panel of seasoned experts in the fields of historic preservation, urban planning, architecture, and small town revitalization will brainstorm solutions to challenges that you are facing in YOUR community. If your community is facing a stumbling block to revitalization, this session will provide practical tips and creative solutions that have worked in other communities across the state and the nation. We’ll also hear from you, the audience.
After the panelists offer their advice, we’ll invite you to let us know what has worked in your community.[/expand]
11:00 – 1:00 PM Field Sessions
[expand title=”Field Session A: Divine Transformation: Adaptive Reuse of the Holy Rosary Catholic Campus”]
Established in Rochester’s Edgerton neighborhood in the early 20th century, the former Holy Rosary Catholic Church held its last mass in 2008. In 2014, a complete adaptive reuse of the campus was completed by Providence Housing Development and SWBR Architects. The c.1916 church now serves as a community center and 35 affordable housing apartments have been created in the former rectory, convent, and school buildings. The project also included the construction of 25 new single-family homes in the neighborhood surrounding the campus. Financing for the $15 million project was made possible with equity provided by Enterprise Community Partners, City home-renovation grants and loans, a payment in lieu of taxes agreement, low-income housing tax credits, and historic tax credits. Take a tour of this transformative project and hear from the project architect, preservation consultants, and former executive director of Providence Housing about how the financing was structured and how historic spaces were adapted to new uses.[/expand]
E. Joseph Gibbons, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CCS | Principal, SWBR Architects
Monica McCullough, Esq. | MM Development Advisors, Inc. (Former Executive Director of Providence Housing)
Michael Puma | Principal, Project Manager, Preservation Studios
Jason Yots | Principal, President, Preservation Studios
[expand title=”Field Session B: The Buzz on the Street: Hive Properties and the St. Paul Quarter“]
In the late 19th century, the St. Paul Quarter developed into an industrial neighborhood, the hub of Rochester’s booming garment industry. By the 1890s Rochester was the fourth largest manufacturer of men’s clothing in the country. As industry moved out of the neighborhood in the latter half of the 20th century, the industrial buildings survived virtually unchanged. When the City of Rochester changed its zoning ordinance to allow mixed residential and commercial use in the late 1980s, the St. Paul Quarter began to come into its own. Factories were replaced by small businesses, offices, artist studios, and loft apartments. The area now contains hundreds of residential units ranging from modern apartments to classic lofts. Residential development in the neighborhood shows no signs of slowing with much of the ongoing revitalization spurred by the efforts of residents and developers, Randy and Dan Morgenstern of Hive Properties. Explore their most recent project, The Hive @ 155 and get to know the St. Paul Quarter on this field session.[/expand]
Randy & Dan Morgenstern | Owners, Hive Properties
[expand title=”Field Session C: The Power of Grassroots Preservation:
Progress in the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood“]
Located just outside center city, the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood is the only surviving example of an early 19th century tract development in the city of Rochester. The neighborhood retains its original public square and alley configuration, commercial strip and industrial area, as well as the majority of its residential buildings. It is both a City of Rochester Preservation District and a National Register historic district.
Spurred by targeted investment from the City of Rochester, tireless advocacy from the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood Association, and ongoing partnership with The Landmark Society, over the last few decades the neighborhood has witnessed a revival. Many of the vacant housing stock has been rehabbed; a bronze statue, “Let’s Have Tea,” created by Rochester sculptor Pepsy Kettavong was commissioned for the Square; and sensitive modern infill has been incorporated.
In more recent years, the commercial spine along Main Street has seen major redevelopment and infill. The rehab of a vacant former carriage factory into apartments using historic and low-income housing tax credits has sparked interest in neighboring industrial buildings. Despite these successes, the neighborhood still faces challenges, including two vacant houses. Led by resident Dawn Noto, this field session will walk you through the neighborhood’s successes and ongoing challenges, including a visit inside the recently completed Carriage Factory Apartments and the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House.[/expand]
Dawn Noto | President, Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood Association
[expand title=”Field Session D: Five to Revive Success Story: From Eastman Dental Clinic to Eastman Gardens Apartments“]
This session offers a firsthand look at one of Rochester’s most outstanding preservation projects of recent years, with particular attention to technical issues and craftsmanship. Completed in 1917 with the lavish support of George Eastman and others, the Dental Dispensary was a state-of-the-art dental health and training facility, exhibiting the highest quality design, materials and construction of it day. Its Children’s Waiting Room was a showcase for local artistic talent, with animal-themed decorative paintings and carvings designed to captivate youngsters awaiting their first trip to the dentist. From 1978 to 2013 the property was vacant and heavily vandalized, but much original fabric survived. In 2013 Rochester developer Home Leasing LLC undertook the revival of the property as Eastman Gardens, a 52-unit mixed income senior community. The project demonstrates the exceptional historic preservation talent available in western New York. The session will describe the challenges of repairing the surviving decorative features and replicating new ones where necessary.[/expand]
Brian Bellaire | Director of Construction, Home Leasing Services, and Eastman Gardens project manager for the construction phase
Saralinda Hooker | Consultant in Historic Preservation
Kevin Naughton | President, Naughton and Daly Contractors
Gary Bolles and Leo Lysy | Owners, Buffalo Plastering and Architectural Casting
