Historic preservation is sound business strategy--it not only preserves significant buildings that contribute to a town’s or city’s unique sense of place, but also provides financial and community benefits. Historic resources provide valuable economic returns in the form of enhanced property values, increased jobs, expanded heritage tourism, and the reuse of existing infrastructure. In addition to being financially beneficial, facilitating community revitalization through the rehabilitation of existing historic and older buildings helps to protect and enhance Delaware’s high quality of life. Any way you look at it, historic preservation is profitable!

On Friday, April 12^th, Preservation Delaware’s sixth annual conference, Profits in Preservation, will explore just this issue with a focus on the tools, incentives, and strategies that make historic and older buildings an attractive and profitable option both economically and in the less tangible ways of enhancing community character, quality of life, and civic pride. The conference will provide information and inspiration for those involved with or considering unique and exciting projects and business opportunities that utilize existing buildings. Conference goers will take part in a series of presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities to explore topics including funding, incentives, procedures, and design for successful, creative preservation and adaptive reuse projects.

Among the scheduled speakers and highlights are:

• Welcoming remarks by Governor Ruth Ann Minner. The timing of this conference is especially appropriate with Governor Minner’s Livable Delaware agenda, of which downtown revitalization is a key component.
• Stanley Lowe is the Vice President of Community Revitalization for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Lowe also serves as the Vice President of Preservation Programs for the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Lowe is a widely recognized expert on the preservation of urban neighborhoods.

• David Listokin is a leading authority on the community and fiscal impact analysis, housing policy, land use regulation, and historic preservation. Over the past two decades, Listokin has served as principal investigator for a variety of clients, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Fannie Mae Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He has worked on several studies that quantify the economic benefits of historic preservation, including statewide studies in Texas and New Jersey.

• Tim Hills is the Historian for McMenamin Brothers, one of the Pacific Northwest’s leading microbreweries. Since 1974, McMenamins has demonstrated priorities that are rather unorthodox within the restaurant industry. He will illustrate McMenamins’ philosophy and methods for infusing new life into neighborhood landmarks through adaptive reuse and historical commemoration. The focus of the presentation will be two properties: Edgefield, a former county poor farm turned destination resort, and Kennedy School, a 1915 elementary school that now allows customers to "sleep in class."

• Workshops and panels that will focus on funding sources, fire codes, lead abatement, tax incentives, historic districts, design considerations, and adaptive reuse.