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Using traditional historic preservation frameworks for legacy businesses.
There is currently only one traditional framework that can be used for legacy businesses seeking local, state, and federal historic designation. This framework provides a conveyance for legacy business programs to be included in historic registries. If you are familiar with other frameworks that can be used for legacy businesses, please let us know by submitting a comment below.
Historic District
Historic districts are defined as areas that often include a blend of residential and commercial buildings where the majority retain historic character or significance, reflecting the settlement, relevant time period(s), and often economic and commercial history of the region or city. These districts are usually designated locally, at a state level, or nationally, using the criteria outlined for designation on the National Register of Historic Placesor local criteria modeled after it. Locally-listed historic districts often carry regulatory or policy controls, tax incentives, and design guidelines, frequently based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, to retain the character and significance of the area.
Historic districts are ideal targets and testbeds for legacy business programs because they represent established continuity between community identity, character, and sense of place. The definition of their significance often includes architectural, cultural, and historical factors tied to local commerce, including legacy businesses. Once designated, these districts generally establish policy and process structures that can include guidance for the retention of legacy businesses.
That being said, historic districts are not currently being used as a conduit for legacy business programs. While Baltimore and Boston currently have legacy business programs that support businesses in historic districts, the programs are citywide rather than focused on a specific district. San Antonio’s Legacy Business Program is the closest example of a program tied to a historic district. Their program serves businesses located in the World Heritage Buffer Zone in the historic downtown or within a 2-mile radius of several landmark missions. If your municipality or region currently has or is planning a historic commercial district, it could provide an ideal framework for your legacy business program.
Historic Commercial District | Petaluma, California
The Petaluma, California, Historic Commercial District encompasses much of the city’s downtown commercial district, including 96 contributing buildings. The district retains a high level of architectural integrity, with buildings that span the city’s commercial history from the mid-1800s to post-WWII. The program currently includes design guidelines and assistance programs for maintaining integrity. Petaluma has a municipal historic preservation office, an active community preservation organization called Preserve Petaluma, and an Office of Economic Development that offers extensive business services for its commercial partners. With its existing historic district designation and the support of surrounding municipal and community organizations, Petaluma exemplifies a city ripe for a pilot legacy business program integrated into a historic commercial district.