NJ Heritage Development Coalition

Today the New Jersey Assembly’s Environment & Solid Waste Committee voted favorably for the Historic Property Revitalization Act (HPRA), bill A1851.  Committee Vice Chair and bill Prime Sponsor Asm. Reed Gusciora (Mercer) spoke eloquently about the value of the proposed economic incentive not only for preserving and rehabilitating valued historic resources, but also for its proven track record as an economic stimulus and jobs creator.   Testimony, both written and in person before the Committee,  was presented from a number of members of the NJ Heritage Development Coalition, including Michael Calafati representing AIA-NJ; Maia Farish, Vice Chair of the NJ Historic Trust; Ron Emrich from Preservation New Jersey and Emily Wadhams, Vice-President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  Real estate developers, homeowners, contractors and architects also offered support and insight into the importance of the proposed tax credit as a jobs creating opportunity vital to New Jersey’s economic recovery.

The bill now awaits action by the Assembly Appropriations Committee (chair:  Asw. Nellie Pou, Passaic, (973) 247-1555) before being considered by the full Assembly.  The Senate has not yet taken up the bill as Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee chair  Sen. Jim Whelan (Atlantic –(609)383-1388) has yet to schedule a hearing.

For more information on the proposed New Jersey historic rehab tax credit and how to Take Action, go to the PNJ website.

The Assembly Environment Committee has scheduled a hearing on the proposed state historic rehab tax credit bill (Historic Properties Revitalization Act, HPRA, A1851).   Join the NJ Heritage Development Coalition and advocates for jobs, economic development and preservation, on Thurs., May 13, 2:00 p.m. in Committee hearing room #9, 3rd floor, Statehouse Annex, West State St., Trenton.  For more information on the bill and proposed credit, click here>>. More info on the hearing on May 13, call Preservation NJ during regular business hours, at 609.392.6409.

Our colleague Bonnie McDonald, ED of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, guest blogs for the National Trust this week on how they worked with a strong group of partners to successfully gain passage early this year of what is the nation’s 31st state historic rehabilitation tax credit bill.

Bonnie writes “In 2009, we aligned ourselves with the Building Jobs Coalition, an advocacy partnership with representatives from the industries of organized labor, general contracting, architecture and engineering, real estate development, and local government economic development. The coalition worked closely with lead legislators to craft a construction job creation bill that included a diverse array of incentives. We were able to demonstrate through numbers compiled by Donovan Rypkema that historic preservation would create well-paying construction jobs – more jobs, in fact, than new construction. ”

Read more about how they did it, and Minnesota’s Top 10 Hail Mary Tax Credit Advocacy Tips.