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| Some meeting participants in front of the Elks Home in Middlesborough. Front row (left to right): Jen Williamson, Vicki Birenberg, Craig Botts. Back row: Kitty Dougoud, Same Coleman, and Isaac Kremer. Credit: DDM, 2013. |
Middlesborough,
Kentucky, July 29, 2013 – Just over a week ago this small Southeast
Kentucky town hosted a number of state and regional leaders to discuss the
economic development benefits of historic preservation. The meeting was
convened by Discover Downtown Middlesboro, Inc., a local non-profit
organization that follows the Main Street Four Point Approach ® to downtown
revitalization.
Craig Potts,
Executive Director of the Kentucky Heritage Council and recently appointed
State Historic Preservation Officer said of the trip, “It was nice getting to
know everyone during our recent visit. We’re excited about the vision for
historic preservation in Middlesborough and look forward to supporting
community efforts.”
Other
officials visiting from the Kentucky Heritage Council included Jen Williamson,
Staff Architect and administrator of the Preservation Tax Credit program. Kitty
Dougoud represented the Kentucky Main Street program and Vicki Birenberg
represented the Certified Local Government program. Middlesborough is a
Designated Main Street program and a Certified Local Government.
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| State Historic Preservation Officer Craig Potts and Jen Williamson, Architect on the 4th floor of the Elks Home in Middlesborough. Credit: DDM, 2013. |
Also
participating was Paul Wright, Enterprise Development Director for MACED.
Afterwards he said, “It was a pleasure meeting with leaders in Middlesborough
and seeing all the great economic development, preservation and community
development opportunities there.”
During the
visit, participants had a chance to see firsthand several of the historic
preservation projects that have recently been completed or that are in the
works. In the completed category are the Nagle Law Office, 1910 Cumberland Ave,
and the National Bank Building at Cumberland and N 20th Street. In progress
is the Pinnacle Building at 2010 Cumberland Avewhere Dr. Lovie Stallworth
recently opened a pediatric practice. This project has been brought to fruition
under the careful watch of Sam Coleman with the Small Business Development
Center at Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College.
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Elks Home historically and today. Credit: DDM, 1910's and 2013.
Another
project in the works is the $10 million restoration of the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks Home. This building was donated to DDM in December
2012. Since then the organization has worked with numerous federal, state, and
regional partners on formulating plans for the restoration. At four stories and
with nearly 27,000 square feet, the building has enormous revitalization
potential. Envisioned as a catalyst project, various uses are being considered
including apartments on the upper floors with restaurant and retail on the
ground floor. One visitor commented how the building layout lent itself to a hotel
use with a light filled main staircase leading to public rooms on the second
floor. Another vision is to take this building that once served as the
Middlesborough Hospital and reuse it as an assisted living facility.
Recently, a
local non-profit, Discover Downtown Middlesboro, Inc., secured $40,000 in
grants for community planning activities. These grants from a variety of
national, state, and regional sources will assist in the preparation of a
strategic plan for the downtown, formulating a historic preservation plan,
performing a market analysis, and then finally putting all of these ideas into
action around mid-October with a Build a Better Block event led by Mike Lydon
from the Street Plans collaborative.
For those
who would like more information about downtown revitalization or to get
involved, please contact (606) 248-6155 or visit www.downtownmiddlesboro.org.
Contact:
Isaac D. Kremer,
Executive Director
Discover Downtown
Middlesboro
(606) 248-6155
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