Selected Podcast
History Preserved: Protecting and Repurposing Historic Landmarks
Preserving historic landmarks is important to maintain the timeline of changes in a city. Jennifer Pratt, Community Development Director, discusses how they work to protect and repurpose historic landmarks.
Featuring:
Since becoming Director, Jennifer initiated the establishment of the City’s first Economic Development Programs. She also led the effort to align EnvisionCR, the City’s new comprehensive plan, with the City Council’s goals to enhance the physical, economic, and social fabric of the community.
Before serving in Cedar Rapids, Jennifer worked in the Quad Cities for the Bi-State Regional Commission and City of Moline, Illinois. Jennifer holds a BA in Political Science from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois and an MA in Public Administration from Upper Iowa University.
Jennifer Pratt
Jennifer Pratt has served in the City’s Community Development and Planning Office since 1998. Always involved in Community and Economic Development activities, she was promoted through senior Planner, Assistant Director, and ultimately Director in October, 2014. She oversees the following divisions within the department: Housing Services which administers a number of federally-funded programs, including Section 8 Vouchers, CDBG, and HOME; Planning which conducts neighborhood and corridor planning initiatives, as well as coordination with all City Departments in the implementation of the City’s comprehensive plan; and Economic Development activities focused on the City’s financial participation and policy development.Since becoming Director, Jennifer initiated the establishment of the City’s first Economic Development Programs. She also led the effort to align EnvisionCR, the City’s new comprehensive plan, with the City Council’s goals to enhance the physical, economic, and social fabric of the community.
Before serving in Cedar Rapids, Jennifer worked in the Quad Cities for the Bi-State Regional Commission and City of Moline, Illinois. Jennifer holds a BA in Political Science from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois and an MA in Public Administration from Upper Iowa University.
Transcription:
Jennifer Pratt (Guest): Having these historic assets in our community helps people connect with them.
Bill Klaproth (Host): Meet Jennifer Pratt, Community Development Director for the City of Cedar Rapids.
Jennifer: Out hope is that the community culture sees the value in those buildings and sees the vision for how they can be repurposed and reused and that we keep reinvesting in those buildings.
Host: This is Inside Cedar Rapids, a monthly podcast that introduces you to the people, projects and programs of your local government. And on this episode, we talk with Jennifer Pratt about history preserved, protecting and repurposing historic landmarks. Heh, Jennifer thanks for your time.
Jennifer: Well thank you Bill for inviting me.
Host: It’s our pleasure Jennifer. So, let me start with this. Can you tell us about the city’s role in historic preservation in Cedar Rapids?
Jennifer: Well the city works on historic preservation through our historic preservation commission. So, it’s a group of volunteers that come in and work with staff. It really does help us to implement the ordinances that we do have to protect our historic assets. That includes two local historic districts that we have as well as local landmarks. So, it is really an important role that that commission comes and helps us work on. They review demolition of buildings over 50 years old as well as exterior changes or improvements in those local historic districts.
We also work proactively to provide financial incentives to developers to help offset those costs to integrate or relocate some of our historic resources. And then we also do provide some financial assistance for the maintenance of properties that are in those local historic districts. So, those are kind of the ways that we help to support historic preservation in Cedar Rapids.
Host: Yeah, I think it is important and I like how you put it. Protecting historic assets. So, on the flipside then; what is the community’s role in historic preservation?
Jennifer: Well I always say that the community has the biggest role. Because what the community does is actually provide the private funding to reinvest in those assets. We had a consultant in one time that said you can’t have all museums in all of your historic assets which is so true. We really need these buildings to be occupied and vibrant and the way that happens is through private investments. So, really our hope is that the community culture really sees the value in those buildings and sees the vision for how they can be repurposed and reused and that we keep reinvesting in those buildings.
Host: Yeah, that’s a really important message. Because preserving historic assets is not only important for our generation now but future generations to come. So, what are some of the most significant achievements in historic preservation in recent years?
Jennifer: Well, the one I think of always first is City Hall because that’s where I come to work every day. But the city, after the flood of 2008 was able to repurpose the former Federal Court House into our City Hall and make it a modern functioning building on the inside while still retaining the historic character on the outside and many of the historic characters inside. So, that’s on that I think of all the time. Also, renovation of the Paramount theater and then private reinvestment that we’ve helped support like the Smulekoffs building or the Louis Sullivan Bank which is now Popoli’s or the SOKO Gymnasium. So there are a lot of private reinvestments that have also occurred even some relocation of structures. So the old White Elephant building down on Third Street has been moved and now repurposed.
Host: Yeah, those are great achievements. So, anything upcoming in the future that you are working on?
Jennifer: Yes. We’re very excited. One of the more recent announcements is the former Guarantee Bank building at Third and Third SE in our downtown is going to be repurposed as a hotel. In addition, they are also redoing the World theater right beside it. So, kind of to be the entryway into that building as well as a new hotel. So, we really like both the preservation of the Guarantee Bank building as well as new construction beside it that compliments it. So, that’s the type of reuse that is very exciting and the type of investment that we are looking for. We are also working to do an intensive survey of the Beaver Woods area. So, again, looking for other opportunities and other areas of the community to focus our resources on.
We also are very excited, we have an older school building that had been used as a park recreational facility, the Ambrose building on Mount Vernon Road and we worked with a local architect for some adaptive reuse ideas and then we put that out to see if anyone was interested in developing that or hopeful that that vision of what it could be used for will help get some interest in that as well. But we’re very excited about that.
Host: So, you have a lot in the works as far as preserving these historic assets. Now earlier, you said the community plays a role especially in helping financially. What else can residents do to support all of these new upcoming efforts that you are working on now?
Jennifer: Absolutely. Well I always encourage people. We have actually two nonprofits that are focused on historic preservation in our community. Friends of Historic Preservation as well as Save CR Heritage and if anyone is interested, I highly encourage them to get in contact. Because those groups will have things that they can get involved in. We also just recently did some postcards for example of structures that have been revitalized in our community and we’re very excited about those because it tells a great story about some of the history in our community. So, those will be on sale as well. So, we hope people purchase those and they are great gifts for people, especially people that maybe have moved away or people that just love history in Cedar Rapids.
I think also, just if people do have an appreciation of history; making sure to look out for those tours that are given and getting other people excited about historic preservation is always a great thing.
Host: So, Jennifer, maybe you can wrap this up for us. One last question. Why is historic preservation important to the city?
Jennifer: Really the history of a community really creates it’s uniqueness. So, having these historic assets in our community helps people connect with them, connect with the community and it also is really the unique thing about Cedar Rapids, about what makes us different. So, retaining them really does create a sense of place and a place where people want to be.
Host: Yeah, really well said. I love that. Connecting with the community and creating a sense of place and preserving the historic assets certainly achieves that. Jennifer, this has been a lot of fun. Thanks for your time today.
Jennifer: Thank you so much for having me.
Host: For more information about historic preservation efforts in Cedar Rapids, read the May 2019 edition of the Our CR Magazine on the city’s website at www.cedarrapids.org. And if you liked what you’ve heard, please share this on your social channels and be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also check out the full library at www.cityofcr.com. This is Inside Cedar Rapids. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Jennifer Pratt (Guest): Having these historic assets in our community helps people connect with them.
Bill Klaproth (Host): Meet Jennifer Pratt, Community Development Director for the City of Cedar Rapids.
Jennifer: Out hope is that the community culture sees the value in those buildings and sees the vision for how they can be repurposed and reused and that we keep reinvesting in those buildings.
Host: This is Inside Cedar Rapids, a monthly podcast that introduces you to the people, projects and programs of your local government. And on this episode, we talk with Jennifer Pratt about history preserved, protecting and repurposing historic landmarks. Heh, Jennifer thanks for your time.
Jennifer: Well thank you Bill for inviting me.
Host: It’s our pleasure Jennifer. So, let me start with this. Can you tell us about the city’s role in historic preservation in Cedar Rapids?
Jennifer: Well the city works on historic preservation through our historic preservation commission. So, it’s a group of volunteers that come in and work with staff. It really does help us to implement the ordinances that we do have to protect our historic assets. That includes two local historic districts that we have as well as local landmarks. So, it is really an important role that that commission comes and helps us work on. They review demolition of buildings over 50 years old as well as exterior changes or improvements in those local historic districts.
We also work proactively to provide financial incentives to developers to help offset those costs to integrate or relocate some of our historic resources. And then we also do provide some financial assistance for the maintenance of properties that are in those local historic districts. So, those are kind of the ways that we help to support historic preservation in Cedar Rapids.
Host: Yeah, I think it is important and I like how you put it. Protecting historic assets. So, on the flipside then; what is the community’s role in historic preservation?
Jennifer: Well I always say that the community has the biggest role. Because what the community does is actually provide the private funding to reinvest in those assets. We had a consultant in one time that said you can’t have all museums in all of your historic assets which is so true. We really need these buildings to be occupied and vibrant and the way that happens is through private investments. So, really our hope is that the community culture really sees the value in those buildings and sees the vision for how they can be repurposed and reused and that we keep reinvesting in those buildings.
Host: Yeah, that’s a really important message. Because preserving historic assets is not only important for our generation now but future generations to come. So, what are some of the most significant achievements in historic preservation in recent years?
Jennifer: Well, the one I think of always first is City Hall because that’s where I come to work every day. But the city, after the flood of 2008 was able to repurpose the former Federal Court House into our City Hall and make it a modern functioning building on the inside while still retaining the historic character on the outside and many of the historic characters inside. So, that’s on that I think of all the time. Also, renovation of the Paramount theater and then private reinvestment that we’ve helped support like the Smulekoffs building or the Louis Sullivan Bank which is now Popoli’s or the SOKO Gymnasium. So there are a lot of private reinvestments that have also occurred even some relocation of structures. So the old White Elephant building down on Third Street has been moved and now repurposed.
Host: Yeah, those are great achievements. So, anything upcoming in the future that you are working on?
Jennifer: Yes. We’re very excited. One of the more recent announcements is the former Guarantee Bank building at Third and Third SE in our downtown is going to be repurposed as a hotel. In addition, they are also redoing the World theater right beside it. So, kind of to be the entryway into that building as well as a new hotel. So, we really like both the preservation of the Guarantee Bank building as well as new construction beside it that compliments it. So, that’s the type of reuse that is very exciting and the type of investment that we are looking for. We are also working to do an intensive survey of the Beaver Woods area. So, again, looking for other opportunities and other areas of the community to focus our resources on.
We also are very excited, we have an older school building that had been used as a park recreational facility, the Ambrose building on Mount Vernon Road and we worked with a local architect for some adaptive reuse ideas and then we put that out to see if anyone was interested in developing that or hopeful that that vision of what it could be used for will help get some interest in that as well. But we’re very excited about that.
Host: So, you have a lot in the works as far as preserving these historic assets. Now earlier, you said the community plays a role especially in helping financially. What else can residents do to support all of these new upcoming efforts that you are working on now?
Jennifer: Absolutely. Well I always encourage people. We have actually two nonprofits that are focused on historic preservation in our community. Friends of Historic Preservation as well as Save CR Heritage and if anyone is interested, I highly encourage them to get in contact. Because those groups will have things that they can get involved in. We also just recently did some postcards for example of structures that have been revitalized in our community and we’re very excited about those because it tells a great story about some of the history in our community. So, those will be on sale as well. So, we hope people purchase those and they are great gifts for people, especially people that maybe have moved away or people that just love history in Cedar Rapids.
I think also, just if people do have an appreciation of history; making sure to look out for those tours that are given and getting other people excited about historic preservation is always a great thing.
Host: So, Jennifer, maybe you can wrap this up for us. One last question. Why is historic preservation important to the city?
Jennifer: Really the history of a community really creates it’s uniqueness. So, having these historic assets in our community helps people connect with them, connect with the community and it also is really the unique thing about Cedar Rapids, about what makes us different. So, retaining them really does create a sense of place and a place where people want to be.
Host: Yeah, really well said. I love that. Connecting with the community and creating a sense of place and preserving the historic assets certainly achieves that. Jennifer, this has been a lot of fun. Thanks for your time today.
Jennifer: Thank you so much for having me.
Host: For more information about historic preservation efforts in Cedar Rapids, read the May 2019 edition of the Our CR Magazine on the city’s website at www.cedarrapids.org. And if you liked what you’ve heard, please share this on your social channels and be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can also check out the full library at www.cityofcr.com. This is Inside Cedar Rapids. I’m Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.