Downtown Historic District meeting set Monday at City Hall

Property owners within a proposed Rector commercial historic district have been invited by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program to a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, June 16, at the Rector Municipal Courtroom, 409 S. Stewart Street.

Program representatives will lead a discussion on a project to list Rector's historic downtown area in the National Register of Historic Places in an effort to spur rehabilitation of historic commercial buildings, AHPP director Frances McSwain said.

"We often receive calls from business owners seeking assistance in reusing their historic commercial structures," McSwain said. "There is a 20 percent tax credit for rehabilitation of historic buildings for income-producing purposes if the buildings are eligible for the National Register. Pursuing historic district nominations will allow the AHPP to make the maximum number of buildings possible eligible for that tax credit."

Benefits of historic district designation include:

* Eligibility for federal tax credits for rehabilitation of historic buildings.

* The prestige of having a National Register historic district.

* Heritage tourism.

* Grant possibilities for buildings owned by local government or non-profit organizations.

* Increased property values.

Those who want more information may call the AHPP at (501) 324-9880, write the agency at 1500 Tower Building, 323 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201, send an e-mail message to mark@arkansasheritage.org or visit the agency web site at www.arkansaspreservation.org.

The AHPP is the Department of Arkansas Heritage agency responsible for identifying, evaluating, registering and preserving the state's cultural resources. Other agencies are the Arkansas Arts Council, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the Historic Arkansas Museum.