The Greening of Historic Preservation

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The Greening of Historic Preservation
John Tess Heritage Consulting Group Historic
Rehabilitation Tax Incentive Specialists
Portland, Oregon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
iped National Historic Tax Credit
Conference Washington DC November 7-9, 2007
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• Two Case Studies of Turning Historic Buildings
  Green
• The McCracken Warehouse or Ecotrust
  Building
• 10 rehabilitation that resulted in the first
  historic building to achieve a Gold Leed
  Certification
• Portland Armory or Gerding Theatre
• 20 rehabilitation that resulted in the first
  Certified Historic Rehabilitation to achieve
  Platinum Leed Certification

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The Principles of Sustainable Development and
Historic Preservation go together

• Recycle old buildings
• Use resources (electricity, water, etc.) more
  efficiently
• Make buildings healthier for occupants
• Encourage alternative transportation
• Encourage compact cities and towns
• Maintain and restore ecosystem health

• Reduce dependence on nonrenewable resources
• Reduce dependence on synthetic substances that
  accumulate in the environment
• Turn waste into a resource
• Choose products and suppliers consistent with the
  other principles
• Promote biological diversity

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Location Map
Aerial view of Portland
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• Aerial view of Portland

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TANNER PLACE
121 housing units 8,000 s.f. retail Adjacent to
first city park
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RIVERSTONE
120 housing units 10,000 s.f. retail
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KEARNEY PLAZA
131 rental units 10,000 s.f. retail Outdoor
community space for residents
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STREETCAR LOFTS
134 lofts 10,000 s.f. retail Fitness
facility Community room Live/work spaces
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JOHNSON TOWNHOMES
13 town houses Live/work spaces
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BRIDGEPORT CONDOMINIUMS
123 housing units 8,000 s.f. retail Public
courtyard Live/work spaces
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McCraken Warehouse
Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center
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Historic view

• 1895 Unreinforced masonry warehouse executed in
  the Richardsonian Romanesque style of
  architecture, architect unknown
• Historically known as the McCraken Warehouse
  located in Portlands rail yards
• J. McCraken Co. was building supplies wholesale
  company founded by John McCraken a respected
  businessman City Council President and one of
  Chamber of Commerce founders
• 1940 Rapid Transfer Storage Co.
• Bought in 1998 by Ecotrust with gift from Jean
  Vollum

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Goals

• Create a center for the conservation economy
• Demonstrate practical elements of green
  restoration
• Rehabilitate a historic building
• Make money
• Build a permanent home for Ecotrust and our
  partners

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Redevelopment goals

• Create generous public spaces
• Reclaim and reuse building materials
• Emphasize natural light and fresh air
• Be energy and water efficient
• Purchase new materials that are FSC-certified,
  nontoxic, of high recycled content, and locally
  sourced and manufactured.
• Store and filter storm water on site.

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Before Rehabilitation
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Aerial during construction
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Exterior Rehabilitation

• Remove paint from brick and stucco
• Repair parapet
• Repair existing wood windows
• New street entries

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Seismic Retrofit

• STAIR TOWERS
• Innovative approach to seismic upgrade while that
  allowed for the least negative impact on interior
  historic materials.
• Provided for future construction on the site
• Was accomplished on the secondary elevation

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Sustainable Site Features

• Urban redevelopment
• Building reuse
• Access to public transitstreet car
• Bicycle parking and shower facilities
• Flexcar car-sharing
• Stormwater managementecoroof, bioswales,
  permeable asphalt paving
• Reduce heat island effect--ecoroof

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Eco roof
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Energy highlights
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Materials highlights
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Stormwater highlights
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Interpretive trail and field guide
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Community of Tenants
The Bill Healy Foundation
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LEED scorecard
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Yesterday
Today
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LEED Gold Medal
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The Portland Armory Combining Historic Tax
Credits, New Markets Tax Credits and Green
Strategies, Too
iped National Historic Tax Credit
Conference Washington DC November 7-9, 2007
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Historic Overview

• Built in 1891, originally housed the Oregon
  National Guard
• Hosted Opera Singers, Professional Wrestling,
  Tennis Matches and Presidential visits
• Most recent life as storage for previously
  adjacent brewery

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Portland Armory
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Redevelopment Challenges

• Economic need to maintain key historic features
  to utilize historic tax credits
• Bow trusses
• Facades
• Windows
• Entries
• Inability to alter the façade limited street
  presence, daylighting for retail or office use
• Seismic requirements presented engineering
  challenges
• Inability to build up or out lot and FAR
  maximized

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Redevelopment Alternatives

• Demolition and Replacement. Not seriously
  considered - Owner recognized value in preserving
  iconic building.
• Fitness club. Negotiations were well underway.
  Economically viable market rents potential to
  take advantage of historic tax credits.
• Performing Arts Theater? Fit with physical
  limitations of space, but economically deeply
  challenging.

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Redevelopment Goals

• Preserve an iconic Portland building
• Create world-class performance spaces
• Push the sustainability envelope
• Build a lasting, dynamic community asset

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Redevelopment Results

• Main Stage Theater seats 599
• Studio Theater seats up to 200
• Lobby and mezzanine can host events in excess of
  200 people
• Portland Center Stage administrative offices and
  rehearsal space housed in the trusses

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Redevelopment Results
Exterior
Administrative Offices
Lobby Mezzanine
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Redevelopment Results
Fire Wall
Theater Reception Area
Main Stage Theater
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Sustainable Design

• First National Register Property to achieve LEED
  Platinum status
• Skylights for natural daylighting
• Rainwater captured and recycled for toilet flush
• Cooling provided by chilled beams and water from
  central chilling plant
• 93 of construction waste recycled

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Sustainable Design
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Interactive, Educational

• Ongoing community engagement key project goal
• Community events held inside and outside the
  building
• Technology used to educate community about the
  building
• Sustainability and historic preservation are at
  the heart of the buildings story

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Armory LEED Scorecard
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Pillar Sustainability

• US Green Building Council
• The first LEED Platinum National Register
  property and Certified Rehabilitation project
• The first LEED Platinum theater in the world

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The bottom line Principles of Sustainable
Development can be incorporated in the
rehabilitation of Historic Buildings

• Recycle old buildings
• Use resources (electricity, water, etc.) more
  efficiently
• Make buildings healthier for occupants
• Encourage alternative transportation
• Encourage compact cities and towns
• Maintain and restore ecosystem health

• Reduce dependence on nonrenewable resources
• Reduce dependence on synthetic substances that
  accumulate in the environment
• Turn waste into a resource
• Choose products and suppliers consistent with the
  other principles
• Promote biological diversity

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John M. Tess Heritage Consulting Group 1120 NW
Northrup St. Portland, OR 97209 (503)
228-0272 82 Bethlehem Pike Philadelphia, PA
19118 jmtess_at_heritage-consulting.com www.heritag
e-consulting.com