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FINDINGS
FROM THE PROFITING FROM THE PAST REPORT
From
data gathered over a five-year period (1992-1996), the study shows that
rehabilitation of historic properties in Georgia created 7,550 jobs, $201
million in earnings, and $559 million in total economic impact on the state
economy just from projects participating in federal and state programs.
Citing specific Georgia cities that have used historic preservation as a tool
for economic growth, the study points out that historic preservation has
enhanced property values in places such as Savannah, Rome, Athens and
Tifton, where properties in designated historic districts appreciated more than
similar properties in non-designated areas.
In Savannah, neighborhoods within the National Register-listed Savannah
Historic District appreciated by as much as 603 percent compared to only 15
percent growth for a neighborhood not listed in the National Register.
The National Register lists buildings sites and districts that are of
historical significance and are worthy of preservation.
The
study also demonstrates what preservationists have been saying all along —
that historic preservation is more than simply rehabilitating
deteriorating buildings. It’s
also a proven partner in developing local economies.
Through the Georgia Main Street Program
— which encourages the rehabilitation of historic downtown commercial
buildings — nearly 2,500 projects totaling $348 million were undertaken over a
five-year period to revitalize the downtown areas of 40 Main Street cities.
In 1997 alone, the program spurred creation of over 1,300 new jobs and
478 new businesses.
Another
economically powerful arm of historic preservation is heritage tourism.
In 1996, visitors to Georgia spent over $453 million on history-related
activities, more than they spent on general sight-seeing activities, evening
entertainment or cultural events. Savannah,
with $751 million in tourism spending in 1996, is Georgia’s best example of
how a city can profit from heritage tourism. In Macon, preservation of in-town
and downtown historic structures has been a key to the success of that city’s
tourism industry. Attractions in
Macon include museums, such as the Georgia Trust-owned Hay House, historic
residences and a downtown entertainment district that features the Tubman
African-American Museum and the newly restored Douglas Theatre.
In 1996, the tourism industry in Macon generated an economic impact of
$297 million, creating 7000 jobs. Augusta,
Thomasville, Valdosta, Columbus and Atlanta are only a few of the other cities
that have found preservation is key to attracting tourists. In Atlanta, the
Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service, is one of the
nation’s most prominent attractions.
According to the study, Georgia has been a leader in
historic preservation activities, and its accomplishments are recognized across
the nation. Together with partners
at the federal and local levels of government, Georgia has used scarce public
dollars through a variety of tax incentive programs to attract private
investment in historic buildings. Together,
federal and state programs have spurred $101 million in private investment in
Georgia’s historic properties over five years.
Projects include the following rehabilitation projects: the Rhodes-Haverty
Building in downtown Atlanta, $6.5 million; the 1915 Upchurch Building in
Thomasville, $1.5 million; the Americus Hardware Building, $1.5 million; the
1865 Elwood residence, Mariettas’s oldest home, $200,000; and the Oliver Dry
Goods Building in Valdosta, $150,000.
The
study makes clear that “historic preservation is an indispensable economic
development tool for Georgia. One
of the challenges facing Georgia in the future will be to keep its economy
growing while mitigating some of the possible side effects of growth, such as
urban sprawl and environmental harm. Historic preservation offers communities an
alternative to sprawl and saves public dollars by avoiding the need to build the
infrastructure necessary to service new developments.”
As Georgia heads toward 2000, HPD, the Georgia Trust and preservationists
across the state urge Georgia communities
to continue their “profiting from the past.”
The study, Profiting From The Past, is a collaborative effort of the
Historic Preservation Division, the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government, the
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the Georgia Main Street program, and
numerous groups and individuals.
Download
the report in its entirety
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