News from Nashville - Preservation Revolving Funds

This morning's first session included presentations by representatives from four "revolving funds" - not-for-profit historic preservation organizations that are created and capitalized to protect endangered historic properties by acquiring, financing and/or rehabilitating them. Some revolving funds also provide technical and development services. In our session, we heard from two state-wide funds - Preservation North Carolina (www.presnc.org) and Georgia Trust (www.georgiatrust.org) - and two city-wide funds - Providence Revolving Fund (www.revolvingfund.org) and Historic Boston Inc. (www.historicboston.org).

The city-specific Providence and Boston models serve as excellent examples of what a city like Buffalo might establish to protect its endangered historic assets. Perhaps the newly reconfigured Preservation Buffalo Niagara (through its development arm) should consider establishing a revolving fund. Add a preservation easement program and you could have a very effective tandem . . .