Author Archive

This week, Faces in Preservation is back with a look at preservation movers and shakers who are leading by example through innovative transportation programs and policies.

Arlyne Reichert
She's known as the "Bridge Lady" on the streets of her hometown and in the country's leading circles of preservationists and historians. Read how Arlyne Reichert's love for the Historic 10th Street Bridge in Great Falls, Montana, has not only made her famous, but evolved into a model case study about the intersection of preservation and transportation policy. >> Read More

Joe Morris
As director of city planning for Salisbury, North Carolina, Joe Morris knows firsthand how transportation enhancements funds can spark the transformation of an entire neighborhood. From a historic train depot to a newly refurbished entertainment district, Morris has used federal transportation grants to enhance the quality of life for Salisbury’s 30,000 residents. >> Read More

Rose Rohr
Adaptive reuse definitely comes with its fair share of challenges, but what happens when the project calls for refurbishing and then airlifting a century-old bridge to a new home that is some 15 miles upstream from its original location? If it sounds impossible, you haven't been to Hale, Iowa, or heard Rose Rohr's story. >> Read More

Intended to supplement our policy platform for President-Elect Barack Obama, Faces in Preservation is a weekly showcase of preservationists who are amazing examples of the kind of work we are hoping to see more of in the future. Stay tuned as we continue to explore new fields and new faces in the days leading up to the Inauguration.

Jason Clement

Jason Lloyd Clement is the associate director for strategic campaigns at the National Trust, which is really just a fancy way of saying he’s a professional place lover. For him, any day that involves a bike, a camera, and a gritty historic neighborhood is basically the best day ever.

• More Posts (71)

Meet John Greer and learn about his reuse project that defied the odds in our new Faces in Preservation series.

Sometimes the biggest challenge in reusing a historic building is not adapting its irreplaceable features, but convincing those who will ultimately use the building that you're not crazy.

In addition to dealing with ductwork and tricky floor-to-floor heights, Little Rock-based architect John Greer also had to contend with a steady chorus of dissent from those who thought a K-12 charter school in an abandoned downtown newspaper plant simply couldn't be done.

In anticipation of his recent Faces in Preservation profile, we had a chance to chat with the reuse pro himself about his unique project and some of the challenges he encountered along the way.

PreservationNation: Why do you think the idea of a downtown K-12 school was so hard for people to get their heads around? What were some of the initial criticisms of the project? 

In general, people don’t know how to handle change. The adjacent hotel was concerned about noise from the playground early in the morning when their patrons would be trying to sleep. The neighboring office buildings were happy with the quiet city street with the vacant building next door. They had plenty of parking at any given time of the day. They didn’t have to worry about traffic getting in and out of their buildings. There was no noise from screaming kids, bouncing balls on the playground, teachers with whistles...the list goes on. The reality of it is that, with the help of the city traffic engineers and the willingness of city leaders to embrace change, traffic flows quite well. Now, the first week was somewhat difficult, but once people got in a groove and got their pick-up and drop-off times coordinated, it worked quite well. And the hotel worked out an agreement with school administrators that the first recess would be delayed until after 9:30 a.m.

PreservationNation: Why was the Arkansas Gazette Building a perfect fit for the eStem Charter School?

The floor plan lent itself to a very open arrangement of classrooms along the perimeter encircling a central lightwell. There are so many exterior windows that we were able to provide abundant natural light in all but just a few classrooms. The introduction of natural light into these rooms has created an environment that is very conducive to the students. The charter school is the first school in our area to adopt an eight-hour school day. To subject a student to eight hours of intense learning without natural light is not an environment that is conducive to learning. Location is also key. It is within a three-block walk to the main public library. It is four blocks from a performing arts theater. And best of all, it is centrally located in the business district to allow working parents to drop off and pick up in close proximity to their work.

... Read More →

Jason Clement

Jason Lloyd Clement is the associate director for strategic campaigns at the National Trust, which is really just a fancy way of saying he’s a professional place lover. For him, any day that involves a bike, a camera, and a gritty historic neighborhood is basically the best day ever.

• More Posts (71)

Meet Mayor Buol of Dubuque, Iowa, in our new Faces in Preservation series.

In politics, there's nothing more powerful than a personal story.

Think about it: From the start of the Iowa primaries until the final polls closed in Alaska, we heard a steady stream of stories about the concerned line worker in Michigan, the parents who couldn't afford college payments in California, and the single mom who waits tables as a second job in North Carolina. And really, who can forget the now infamous plumber who became an overnight political sensation?

These stories work because they give us something to sink our teeth - and our hearts - into, which is why the National Trust for Historic Preservation has launched a new series called Faces in Preservation. As a supplement to our official policy platform, this evolving collection of stories will introduce you and the incoming Obama Administration to the preservationists who are on the front lines of change in our communities and demonstrating that preservation is so much more than just standing in front of wrecking balls.

This week, we start with pioneers in sustainability who are proving that going green puts communities in the black. In anticipation of his Faces in Preservation profile, we had a chance to chat with Mayor Roy D. Buol of Dubuque, Iowa, about a project that is turning 17 downtown blocks of abandoned or misused industrial warehouses into a livable, walkable neighborhood that is green friendly and mixed use.

PreservationNation: What does sustainability mean to you?

We must remember the Native American proverb that says "We do not inherit the earth, we borrow it from our grandchildren." When I think about sustainability, I see the faces of my grandchildren. I see them in school, at the park, near the river, making crafts at the art museum or going to a festival in downtown. I see how connected they are to our community and the lessons that they are already learning about being stewards of this great city. Even at their young age, they are interacting and respecting the native species that make our bluffs so majestic, our prairies so open, and our creeks and rivers full of life. They are meeting new families that come to Dubuque and celebrating the richness that these families bring with traditions and cultures for us to enjoy. And they benefit from quality, local businesses that provide a means to raise healthy, productive families. Sustainability must be about creating stewardship in our children and grandchildren - a stewardship that emphasizes environmental integrity, social/cultural vibrancy and economic prosperity.

... Read More →

Jason Clement

Jason Lloyd Clement is the associate director for strategic campaigns at the National Trust, which is really just a fancy way of saying he’s a professional place lover. For him, any day that involves a bike, a camera, and a gritty historic neighborhood is basically the best day ever.

• More Posts (71)