West Virginia has made its historic tax rehabilitation credit program permanent. Gov. Jim Justice recently signed the bi-partisan bill, which provides a 25% tax credit for those who rehabilitate historic income-producing properties. 

The 25% credit, which became law in 2018, was set to expire at the end of 2022. In those five years, the program attracted renewed interest in West Virginia’s historic commercial districts and spurred private reinvestment in more than 80 vacant and dilapidated buildings throughout the state. In just two of those years, more than $34 million were invested in nine projects.

The move to a permanent 25% credit provides needed certainty to property owners and developers, explained Renee Kuhlman, Senior Director at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The 25% credit often fills a financing gap in a project, but the uncertainty around its future made it difficult for developers to successfully apply for construction loans or plan long-term projects.

“The removal of the sunset date increases the attractiveness of the credit to investors,” Kuhlman said. “Already, I’ve received a call from a New Orleans developer wanting information about West Virginia properties because the program was made permanent.”

Without this tax credit, many historic redevelopment projects would not happen, explained Danielle Parker, executive director of the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, a statewide organization dedicated to supporting and promoting historic preservation. The 25% credit is often the reason a project becomes feasible.
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"There are over 1,000 properties, including 168 historic districts, that can be revitalized using the credit, and I am excited to see how these places can be brought back to life using this financial incentive,” Parker said.
The state historic tax credit is capped at $30 million of income tax credits per year. The program also offers a 20% residential rehabilitation credit for historic homes, which is also permanent.

The State Historic Tax Credit is administered by the WV Historic Preservation Office, and the National Parks Service. For more information on applying for the credit or to find out if your property is an eligible tax credit project, please call 304-558-0240. You can also Visit the WV Historic Preservation Office's website for additional information.

​Thank you to Senator Ryan Weld for being the original sponsor of this legislation and for being a champion of historic preservation and community revitalization for West Virginia! 

We want to say thank you to the legislation's co-sponsors too! They are Senators Mike Woelfel, Robert Plymale, Richard Lindsay, Eric Nelson, Stephen Baldwin, Mike Maroney, and Glenn Jeffries.

Special thanks to Delegate Erikka Storch for supporting this bill through  the House of Delegates and to the Abandoned Properties Coalition for leading the charge to make the 25% state historic tax credit permanent.

U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced bipartisan legislation, S. 1258, on Tuesday to extend the authorizations of West Virginia’s National Coal Heritage Area and Wheeling National Heritage Area – which are set to expire September 30, 2021.

“As Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I am well aware of the impacts National Heritage Areas can have on local communities. Extending the authorizations of the National Coal Heritage Area and the Wheeling National Heritage Area will allow us to continue to recognize their significant contributions to our nation and provide an economic boost to the communities around them. This bipartisan legislation will preserve and protect West Virginia’s rich cultural traditions and historic sites so that future generations can enjoy them as we have, and I look forward to it being enacted into law,” said Senator Manchin, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

“Both the Wheeling National Heritage Area and National Coal Heritage Area are important to the culture and scenic beauty of our state. It is essential that we extend their designation as National Heritage Areas to help continue our efforts toward conservation, restoration, and economic development in these regions. I’m proud to introduce legislation that will help boost tourism and revenue in West Virginia, while also helping to expand opportunities for people to enjoy the natural beauty and history that our state has to offer,” Senator Capito said.
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National Heritage Areas (NHA) are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape. By extending the official NHA designation, the National Coal Heritage Area and Wheeling National Heritage Area can continue to remain eligible for grants and technical assistance from the National Park Service that help create jobs, generate revenue for local governments, and sustain local communities

In 2017, the West Virginia Legislature voted to increase the state historic rehabilitation tax credit from 10% to 25%. However parts of the legislation will affect future reinvestment opportunities and even discontinue the tax credit increase. A network of nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and private investors have joined together to ask the Legislature to address these issues and are asking for support in favor of SB344, which was introduced by Senator Weld (R-1) with Senators Plymale (D-5) and Woelfel (D-5) as co-sponsors.

From 2018 to 2021, the historic rehabilitation tax credit has attracted renewed interest in our historic commercial districts and spurred private reinvestment in over 80 vacant and dilapidated buildings (some of which are pictured above). When a vacant or underutilized building is repurposed, it generates additional revenues to local government through increased property taxes. Once the state's initial investment is recouped, the project continues to yield positive economic impacts through a combination of sales, income, and business taxes.

In 2018 & 2019, over $34 million dollars were invested to finish 9 projects in Charleston, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Franklin, Huntington, Spencer, and Wheeling. These projects created 256 construction jobs for West Virginia. Rehabilitation projects support higher labor costs for construction jobs rather than new materials and also utilize in-state trades and professional services such as legal, accounting, architectural, and engineering, as well as wholesale trade and retail trade.

Large and small-scale developers report that historic rehabilitation tax credit programs fill a critical financing gap. The 25% rate provides an incentive to make a difference in a developer's decision to undertake a rehabilitation project, and it makes projects more feasible for individuals.

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​Three interesting historic properties have become available in Lewisburg’s Downtown Historic District. A Sears kit house that has been on PAWV’s endangered list for several years, is available for free to someone who will move or disassemble it. Built in the early 1920s, it is an early version of The Westly, one of Sears most popular homes. A professional house mover has checked out the house and is confident it can be readily moved.

​Across the street from New River Community and Technical College and next to the Old Stone Church is McElhenney Lodge. It provided a dormitory, faculty housing, offices and a recreation center for Greenbrier College. The oldest part of the complex is a 19th century brick house with cement block additions.

​The third offering is the old Greenbrier Dairy building that housed a True Value hardware store for many years. The property includes a large lot and a warehouse in central Lewisburg. 

​Each of these properties should qualify for historic preservation tax credits. The Lewisburg Historic Landmarks Commission is involved in efforts to save and restore these buildings. More information is available by contacting Commissioner Skip Deegans at 304-646-8475 or wedeegans@mac.com.

• Webinars will be held remotely and facilitated by PAWV using its GoToWebinar subscription.
  • Presenters will have the option to practice their webinar ahead of time with PAWV staff.

• Webinars should be 45 – 60 minutes in length with allowance for a Q&A period.
• Webinars must involve a PowerPoint or slideshow presentation.
• Webinar presenters are not expected to use a web camera, but the presenter must have his/her own computer, internet access, and audio capabilities to give the webinar presentation.
• Webinar topics must relate directly to historic preservation and can be targeted at different levels of experience.
  • Webinars will be recorded live and added to the PAWV website and YouTube channel.
• It is suggested that some proposals are from historic preservation professionals and craftspeople who would like to participate in an Ask the Expert virtual session where participants can submit questions accompanied by photos (to PAWV) prior to the webinar. Questions will relate directly to historic preservation building problems. The expert will review the submissions and select questions to answer during the webinar.
  • PAWV staff can help put together the slideshow presentation for this webinar, if requested.
  • In some cases, specific case studies could be chosen for on-site demonstrations if the presenter is interested in this option. Demonstrations will be recorded and edited by a professional film crew (TBD) and presented on the PAWV website and YouTube channel.
  • For the Ask the Expert proposals, the potential presenter should explain what areas of historic preservation he/she would like to focus on for question submissions (i.e. windows, masonry, doors, foundation, roofs, etc.).

SPECIFICATIONS FOR LOCAL WORKSHOPS/DEMONSTATIONS:
 

• Local workshops and/or demonstrations must take place in July, August, or September 2020.

• The local workshops or demonstrations can be held anywhere in the state of West Virginia but must be held at historic property. It is recommended that hands-on work be performed on the property.
  • Local workshops involving the public must be held outdoors and comply with social distancing guidelines.
    • Local workshops likely will not be filmed and will occur one-time.
  • Demonstrations can be held indoors or outdoors and do not need to be open to the public if held indoors.
    • If demonstrations are to be open to the public, then they must be outdoors and comply with social distancing guidelines.
  • Demonstrations can have webinar and on-site components that can be merged for final video recordings.
  • Demonstrations will be filmed and edited by a professional film crew (TBD).
• Presenters/demonstrators must be able to engage participants in learning historic preservation and traditional building techniques in a half-day or full-day workshop, or alternatively, in a video demonstration.
• Presenters should have extensive experience in the specific skill, thorough familiarity with historic preservation issues regarding that skill, and experience in teaching the skill.  

 
Proposal Application Requirements:
 
Professionals interested in providing preservation training for either of the above formats should submit a proposal including:
 

• Title of webinar, local workshop, or demonstration
• Include whether it will be a webinar, local workshop, or demonstration
  • If a workshop or demonstration, include the name of the property (if there is one) and the address of the property.
• Description of the activity and what will be learned (no more than one page)
• Whether the activity is for beginners or a more experienced audience
• Short abstract, no more than 150 words, for promotional purposes
• Name, Title, Contact Information (phone and email), and Organizational/Institutional Affiliation, if any
• Qualifications, credentials, and experience:
  • Skill(s) that you are qualified to teach
  • Teaching or training experience
  • A one-paragraph bio suitable for use in conference handouts
• Tools or equipment, if applicable, that you can provide for the class and student use
• Materials, equipment, and site requirements you would expect PAWV to provide
• Availability/preferred date of presentation
• Cost / fee proposals for presentation (when applicable)

 
Presenter fees, when paid, will be negotiated on a case by case basis.  No separate travel expenses will be paid.  Presenter fees may be offered to speakers if funds are available – as well as if, per SHPO grant requirements, those presenters meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards found in 36 CFR 61. (For information on 36 CFR 61 standards, see https://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_9.htm.)  Some presenters not meeting the requirements in 36 CFR 61 may also be paid fees, and PAWV will make this determination as funds are available.
 
Proposals are due via email to Danielle Parker at dlapresta@pawv.org on Friday June 5, 2020
 
This RFP does not indicate any promise to follow through and implement any proposals.  We reserve the right to select different trainers for workshops, sessions, etc. We reserve the right to accept late proposals if insufficient or inadequate proposals for all slots are not received by the deadline. We may suggest revisions to your proposals for your consideration.  PAWV staff will organize and direct all activities and will have final approval of content.
 
This conference receives Federal funds from the National Park Service as administered by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination departmental Federally Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240. 

The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) invites proposals from qualified researchers and consultants to work closely with staff to conduct a program evaluation of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program, in line with AmeriCorps expectations and requirements.

Scope of Work Goals
PAWV anticipates the consultant will conduct a retrospective outcome evaluation on the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program for the years 2015-2019. The goal of this evaluation is to understand the level of impact Preserve WV AmeriCorps members have in building the capacity of site sponsors’ community engagement. Data for the 2015-2019 period has already been collected and is currently being organized into one spreadsheet for these evaluation purposes.
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Download the full RFP HERE.

Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV), the statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to historic preservation, is seeking an AmeriCorps Program Manager to help with the management, implementation, and administration of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program, as well as to manage the PAWV office in Elkins.
 
The Preserve WV AmeriCorps program is PAWV’s statewide national service initiative where AmeriCorps members help main streets thrive, help communities capture their local history, and help preserve beloved West Virginia landmarks.
 
The program involves 26 AmeriCorps members in a combination of full-time and half-time slots that are assigned to historical organizations across the state of West Virginia. The AmeriCorps Program Manager will be directly supervised by, and report to, Danielle Parker (PAWV Executive Director) and will assist her with the management and administration of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program, in addition to helping with some general administrative tasks for PAWV. 
 
This position will be hourly part-time (averaging 20 - 30 hours/week) with pay of $15/hour.
 
PAWV is looking for an AmeriCorps Program Manager who exemplifies competence, communication, and commitment.  

PAPERWORK & MONITORING FOR AMERICORPS

• Review member timesheets twice per month in an online reporting system;
• Review AmeriCorps member monthly and quarterly reports and maintain an excel database with relevant data for grant reporting and program evaluation;
• Complete National Service Criminal History Check procedures for new AmeriCorps members and site supervisors. Maintain the organization of these files;
• Assist with overseeing member and site performance, including participating in some member-planned events, conducting site monitoring visits, and helping to resolve issues and conflicts that may arise with members;
• Assist with program evaluation; and
• Log into an online time-keeping system to track and report your time worked for grant reimbursement purposes.

 
AMERICORPS RECRUITMENT, TRAINING & TEAM BUILDING

• Alongside the Executive Director, recruit and interview new AmeriCorps members;

• Assist with planning and conducting trainings and other meetings;
• Facilitate team building, service projects, and new member familiarization with the state;
• Conduct AmeriCorps orientation (at first with the executive director and eventually independently) and collect/maintain AmeriCorps member paperwork; and
• Set up AmeriCorps OnCorps and Google Drive accounts.

 
OTHER AMERICORPS TASKS

• Order AmeriCorps supplies; and
• Communicate with state Program Officers and attend periodic AmeriCorps meetings.

 
DARDEN HOUSE OFFICE MANAGEMENT

• Collect mail at Elkins office and share relevant information with the executive director;
• Organize mailed Section 106 requests and distribute to the respective committee;
• Answer telephone calls and field general PAWV inquiries by phone;
• Make deposits for PAWV and then send information to executive director for accounting purposes; and
• Help organize quarterly PAWV Board Meetings.

​Successful candidate must be organized and meticulous with paperwork, a self-starter, and computer literate with comfort in Microsoft Office Suite, email, Google drive, Survey Monkey, and social media. Excellent people skills and demonstrable ability to learn on one’s own are essential. The candidate must be able to work independently with periodic direction. Candidate should have a college degree or significant life experience. Prior management and/or AmeriCorps experience will be a plus.
 
Communication and people skills are vital. Successful candidate must work closely with a wide variety of people. Good written and verbal communication skills, positive attitude, professionalism, calm demeanor in response to stress or conflict, ability to help with conflict resolution, and comfort with speaking in groups will all be needed. Candidates who can connect readily with the AmeriCorps members are encouraged to apply, as long as they can show management experience.  
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AmeriCorps staff person should commit to PAWV principles and be prepared to take responsibility and represent the organization. Be expected to represent PAWV as a professional and to build relationships with site representatives, government agencies and officials, and program partners. It will be important to understand and comply with AmeriCorps prohibited activities, including not advocating or representing political or religious viewpoints as an employee.

The position will be based in Elkins, WV at the PAWV office located at 421 Davis Avenue. The Program Manager will be expected to keep business hours as agreed, with some reimbursable travel around the state for AmeriCorps site visits, program orientation, and board meetings. In some cases, the AmeriCorps Program Manager will be required to stay overnight for pre-arranged PAWV and AmeriCorps Program Activities. This usually occurs in January, May, July, and October.

• Submit (by email to dlapresta@pawv.org) a cover letter expressing why you are a good fit for this position.
• Submit (by email to dlapresta@pawv.org) a resume including contact information for 2-3 professional/academic references.
• Complete the following application at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R37SP92.
• Complete a multi-part National Service Criminal History Check (information will be supplied to you if you are being considered for an interview).

​Applications will be accepted until January 20, 2020, or until position is filled.
 
For more information or to submit application. Contact Danielle Parker, Executive Director at 304-345-6005 or at dlapresta@pawv.org

The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) is now accepting proposals for its West Virginia Historic Preservation Conference on April 30 – May 2, 2020.  It will be held in Mercer County and will be split between three locations: Bramwell on Thursday, Princeton on Friday, and Bluefield on Saturday.
 
Conference proposals should fit into at least one of three tracks (download the guidelines for more information):
 

1. Site Development, Revitalization, and Interpretation;
2. Industrial & Labor History Sites and Architecture;
3. Hands-on & Technical Preservation Skills.

 
This is a request for knowledgeable professionals willing to lead one or more of the following:
 

• Keynote & plenary speaker
• Three full-day hands-on historic preservation workshops
• Historic preservation workshop for legal professionals
• Educational walking or driving tours in all three local communities
• Educational sessions
• Roundtable discussions
• Multi-presenter, panel presentations
• Poster session for students and AmeriCorps members

 
For more information on each of these positions, necessary qualifications, and the application process, please see the guidelines (download .MSDOCX).
 
Submit proposals via email to Danielle Parker at dlapresta@pawv.org by 5 pm EST on January 24, 2020.    
 
This RFP does not indicate any promise to follow through and implement any proposals.  We reserve the right to select different trainers for workshops, sessions, etc. We reserve the right to accept late proposals if insufficient or inadequate proposals for all slots are not received by the deadline. We may suggest revisions to your proposals for your consideration.  PAWV staff will organize and direct all events and will have final approval of content.
 
This conference receives Federal funds from the National Park Service as administered by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination departmental Federally Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240.