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January 25, 2000State official says Building 50 a successEven though building is still vacant, fact that it's still there is significant, historic official saysBy BILL O'BRIENRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Local residents frustrated that Building 50 is still sitting vacant after almost a decade may take heart after listening to Brian Conway. Conway, the state's top historic official, has a decidedly differing view. "For us sitting down in Lansing, we see this as a success story," said Conway, Michigan's historic preservation officer in the Department of State. "The fact that 10 years later the buildings are still standing is a success story." Conway made his remarks to about 40 local residents Monday night, including members of the Grand Traverse Commons Redevelopment Corporation Board, which hosted his presentation at the new Heritage Center on Sixth Street. The board is in charge of efforts to redevelop the former state hospital campus, now called the Grand Traverse Commons, and its centerpiece, Building 50. Conway outlined state and federal historic tax credit programs that could make renovation of Building 50 and other structures at the Commons more financially attractive to potential developers. And while no one's found a way yet to preserve the 309,000-square-foot behemoth, Conway said the community's support for saving the structure is as important as the financial incentives. "From my perspective it seems you're doing what needs to be done ... you made a commitment to stay with the building until the very end and there's no other alternative," he said. "Once the decision is made to demolish the building, it's gone forever." Under the historic tax credit program approved by state lawmakers two years ago, developers can get state tax credits equal to up to 25 percent of their investment costs for structures like Building 50 or other historic sites on the Commons campus. The improvements must be consistent with the historic nature of the structure to qualify, although Conway expects the Commons board would get some "leeway" in being able to re-design the floor plan because of the large hallways and small rooms in the former psychiatric hospital. Those state tax incentives can also be leveraged with federal programs to further increase the potential benefit to developers. Building 50 has also recently gained a state Renaissance zone designation providing further tax benefits for redevelopment. Still, Conway said the deteriorating structure has "monumental problems" and that most of the state hospital buildings around Michigan from that era have gone the way of the wrecking ball. He praised the Commons board for moving ahead with renovation of other historic sites on the campus, like the new hospitality house being opened by Munson Healthcare, while waiting for more proposals on Building 50. "It's a real challenge and I commend you for looking at it in smaller pieces," he said. |
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