Historic Preservation Commission Hosts Lecture on Using Tax Credits for Projects

AMES, Iowa – The Ames Historic Preservation Commission will host the third in a series of free public lectures to raise awareness about the importance of historic preservation. 

Steve Wilke-Shapiro and Jami Larson will present the lecture, “Using Tax Credits with your Historic Preservation Project,” at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 515 Clark Ave. State and federal tax credits are available for historic preservation projects. Often they are a critical element in putting together the financial package that makes rehabilitation/preservation possible. 

Wilke-Shapiro will speak from the viewpoint of a preservation specialist and architect. He has been involved with numerous projects using tax credits. He will provide an overview on using tax credits, critical elements, and reflect on his experiences using the tax credits. 

Larson will speak from the perspective of someone passionate about saving a particular building, the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. He will discuss his introduction to and involvement with using tax credits to pull together a project to rehabilitate this building located south of the Iowa State University campus. 

This lecture series is sponsored by the Historic Preservation Commission, Ames Smart Growth Alliance, Preservation Iowa, and the Ames Historical Society. The next lecture will be “Old is the New Green: Preservation + Sustainability,” at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 14, also in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. All lectures are free and open to the public.