Uptown being considered for historic district

“For us, most of us, the actual buildings in downtown are the most important part,” Creston Historic Preservation Chair Jane Briley told Creston City Council Monday.

In her appointment with the council, Briley recommended they approve applying for a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant to establish an historic district in Uptown Creston and making application to the Register of Historic Places for the Union County Courthouse.

Briley presented a document sharing 10 benefits of establishing a local historic district to the council. There were several she called out specifically as important in Creston. “Local districts help the environment,” she read. “Historic districts encourage communities to retain and use their existing resources in established neighborhoods. This reduces the need for cars, cuts back on pollution and congestion and eliminates landfill waste.”

Another major benefit Briley said she’s already seen is the positive impact to the local economy through tourism. “I know at this point, just having the depot on the historic register, the number of times I’ve driven by this area and seen people taking pictures of the depot is numerous,” she said. “Having more buildings for them to come down and take pictures of is very important.”

According to data she provided, 78% of all U.S. cultural and/or historic leisure travelers spent, on average, $994 on their most recent trips - compared to $611 spent by non-cultural and heritage travelers.

The estimated total cost to complete the application is $15,235. The cost includes travel and consultant fees. If successful in securing the CLG grant, the state would pay for 60% of the cost ($9,141), leaving 40% ($6,094) left to fund.

Briley brought the idea of putting the courthouse on the historic registry to the Union County Board of Supervisors last Monday.

“Personally, I’d like to see a 50/50 match between the county and the city,” Councilman Matt Levine said. “I think we’re getting something out of this with the historic designation as far as uptown is concerned, but they’re going to get the benefits of the courthouse being on the historic registry. I think it’s beneficial to all of us, and I hope they agree.”

The grant application is due by Sept. 1, and Briley plans to hold a public meeting Aug. 29 with uptown business owners to discuss what the historic district means for Uptown Creston.

Councilwoman Jocelyn Blazek asked if the grant is annual, but Briley recommended moving forward this year. “We’ve been really lucky and getting a lot of grants in the last year that we didn’t think that we’d ever get,” Briley said. “We’re kind of on a roll, I’d hate to see a pause at this time.”

The council passing the resolution to approve the application for the grant would mean they may have to take responsibility for the funds should the county back out.

“I would feel comfortable passing a resolution saying we agree to pay 50% if they agree to pay 50%,” Levine said. The council passed the amended resolution and plans to have a final answer to Briley after the board of supervisors meet Monday.