Historic Preservation and Master Planning in Flat Rock

Isaac Kremer/ September 12, 2007/ Field Notes, Physical, preservation, Writing/ 0 comments

In recent years Flat Rock has made great strides with historic preservation. This includes successful moving and rehabilitation of buildings which otherwise would have been demolished; rehabilitation of several other buildings on site; applying for a state historical marker and National Register listing for the Ford Motor Co. Lamp Factory; and recently applying for Preserve America designation. Despite this progress, there is still more that can be done to support preservation in Flat Rock – with one of the best ways being to include preservation in the Master Plan.

Historic Resources Section in the Master Plan
Many communities have been successful including a “Historic Resources” section in their Master Plan. Among the features such a section could have, include:

  • A profile of historic resources, describing neighborhoods, their growth and development, and efforts today to care for buildings within them.
  • Summary of past preservation efforts in Flat Rock, addressing topics such as public policy, codes and ordinances, issues influencing preservation (such as growth and development), economic benefits of preservation, education and advocacy, and public perceptions.
  • Summary of key issues critical to the future of historic resources, possibly including the need for an accurate and up-to-date survey of historic buildings, making owners eligible for financial incentives like the State Historic Preservation Tax Credit, etc.
  • Goals and Objectives section
  • Historic Preservation Tools – describing tools at the local level, and state and federal financial incentives and programs to support preservation.

Leveraging “Preserve America” Grant Opportunity
Flat Rock is among an elite group of communities in Michigan that have applied for Preserve America designation. There are nine Preserve America Communities in Michigan. Benefits of being named a Preserve America Community include being eligible to apply for up to a $150,000 grant to support preservation. The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar non-federal match for projects totaling between $40,000 to $300,000. As an important aside, CDBG funds and volunteer time may be used towards the match. Grant applications will be accepted as early as December 2007, and projects may be in one of five areas including: Research and Documentation, Interpretation and Education, Planning, Marketing, and Training.

Of these, Research and Documentation perhaps has the best potential for Flat Rock and could include conducting an intensive level survey that would be needed, among other things, to provide materials for the Master Plan and guide preservation efforts in the years to follow. One result of such a survey could be making material on historic buildings in Flat Rock available in a database searchable online with date buildings were built, architect and builder (if known), past occupants, historical and architectural description, building permit and summary of modifications and changes, and eligibility for historic designation and financial incentives associated with preservation. It can reasonably be expected that such a project, depending on its scope, could cost from $60,000 to well in excess of $100,000 and take several months and up to a year to complete.

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About Isaac Kremer

Isaac is a nationally acclaimed downtown revitalization leader, speaker, and author. Districts Isaac managed have achieved over $850 million of investment, more than1,645 jobs created, and were 2X Great American Main Street Award Semifinalists and a 1X GAMSA winner in 2023. His work has been featured in Newsday, NJBIZ, ROI-NJ, Patch, TapInto, and USA Today. Isaac is a Main Street America Revitalization Professional (MSARP), with additional certifications from the National Parks Service, Project for Public Spaces, Grow America (formerly the National Development Council), and the Strategic Doing Institute. He currently serves as Executive Director for Experience Princeton in Princeton, New Jersey.

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