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NY
State Parks Announces 2018 New York State
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Historic
Preservation Awards
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Projects
show how historic preservation strengthens
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economies,
promotes New York’s rich culture
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Albany,
NY – December 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / The New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State
Parks) announces seven outstanding projects and individuals from around
state received 2018 New York State Historic Preservation Awards to honor
excellence in the protection and rejuvenation of New York’s historic landmarks.
Commissioner Rose Harvey presented the awards at a ceremony Thursday at
the State Museum in Albany.
“Across
New York, communities, businesses and individuals are embracing historic
preservation strategies to promote community renewal, cultural enrichment
and job growth in New York,” Commissioner Harvey said. “I congratulate
this year’s recipients on their great work that both preserves the distinctive
history our communities and helps create a better future for our state.”
Established
in 1980, the state preservation awards are given by State Parks’ Division
for Historic Preservation each year to honor excellence in the protection
and rejuvenation of New York’s historic and cultural resources. Awards
honor the efforts and achievement of individuals, organizations and municipalities
that make significant contributions to the state’s historic preservation
objectives.
This
year’s award recipients include:
Randolph
Houses, Harlem
The
1890s Randolph Houses were empty and slated for demolition when Trinity
Partners Inc. and West Harlem Group Assistance took on the redevelopment
project. The project transformed an entire Harlem streetscape, including
36 buildings and 283 housing units, With the assistance of historic tax
credits and federal low-income housing tax credits, the project is a great
example of how New York City’s distinguishing 19th century tenement buildings
can serve modern housing needs and create affordable housing in the city.
Tower
of Victory, Washington’s Headquarters, Newburgh
The
Tower of Victory at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site was built
in 1887 to commemorate the peace following the Revolution War. The tower
fell into disrepair after its roof was damaged by storm in the 1950s. A
multi-decade restoration effort by the State Parks Palisades Region, the
Palisades Park Conservancy, and local masons and construction companies
saw the reconstruction of the roof, observation deck and conservation/
reinstallation of the several bronze statues.
New
York City LGBT Historic Sites Project
The
New York City LGBT Historic Sites project helped expand understanding of
LGBT history in the five boroughs. The multi-year survey included the completion
of a historic
context statement, the addition of five new listings to the State and
National Registers of Historic Places, an interactive GIS based website,
and dynamic social media campaign. The project was funded and supported
by two NPS Underrepresented Communities grants, the J.M. Kaplan Fund, Arcus
Foundation, the New York Community Trust, and American Express.
Hotel
Saranac, Saranac Lake
Underutilized
for decades, the 1927 Hotel Saranac has been transformed by a local developer
into a premier hotel and heritage tourism hub in the North Country. The
$35 million rehabilitation, now part of the Curio Collection by Hilton,
is the is the largest historic tax credit investment in the Adirondacks.
The hotel includes 82 renovated rooms, a spa, bar and grill, and salon.
Sibley
Square, Rochester
Opened
in 1906, Sibley’s was once the largest department store between New York
City and Chicago. The store closed in 1989. In 2013 WinnCompanies began
its largest preservation and reuse project to date, revitalizing 1.1 million
square feet as mixed income, mixed use development, incorporating commercial,
residential, educational, and recreational elements. The project is now
largest historic tax credit investment in upstate New York. The result
is a mixed-use hub that includes low income and market rate housing, commercial,
office, maker, and workforce development space. This project reflects a
successful public-private partnership, including assistance from Empire
State Development and New York State Homes and Community Renewal.
The
New Guinea Community Site, Hyde Park
The
archaeologically significant historic resource located in Hackett Hill
Park in the Town of Hyde Park documents an early Dutchess County free black
community that was active from ca. 1790 to ca. 1850, when historical records
that relate to African Americans experience are meager. The Town of Hyde
Park, the Hyde Park Historical Society and local volunteers worked with
the state to list the New Guinea Community Site on the State and National
Registers of Historic Places. The partners also worked together to preserve
artifacts recovered from excavations of the site. The town is also creating
walking trails and interpretive signage and developing a classroom curriculum
for local school students.
Mark
Thomas, Western District Director, New York State Parks
From
2007 until his retirement this year, Mark Thomas directed state parks in
the 10 Western New York counties and oversaw the execution of Governor
Andrew Cuomo’s “NY Parks 2020” initiative which included more than a $125
million investment into Western Region state parks. Thomas’s tenure included
the $70 million restoration of Niagara Falls State Park, the nation’s oldest
state park, and the opening of the Humphrey Nature Center at Letchworth
State Park.
View
photos of the award
winners here.
The
New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees
more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses,
boat launches and more, which are visited by 71 million people annually.
A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $5 billion in
park and visitor spending, which supports nearly 54,000 jobs and over $2.8
billion in additional state GDP. For more information on any of these recreation
areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit
www.parks.ny.gov,
connect with us on Facebook,
or follow on Instagram
and
Twitter.
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Contacts:
Randy
Simons | Dan Keefe
518-486-1868 |