Finalists emerge in competition to recognize the best redevelopments of historic properties
WASHINGTON, DC – October 6, 2015 – An old school building is keeping seniors in their neighborhood after they sell their homes. An out-of-use factory provides shelter and services to individuals with special needs. A former motor club offers tourists a sustainable place to stay. These innovative historic rehabilitations are among the finalists for J. Timothy Anderson Awards for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation.
National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NH&RA) announced the 13 finalists and one winner for the awards fondly known as the “Timmys.” The winners in five permanent categories, as well as four Judges’ Award categories will be presented on November 2 at a luncheon ceremony at the Boston College Club in downtown Boston, MA. The ceremony is held in conjunction with NH&RA’s 2015 Fall Developers Forum.
Named for one of the pioneers of adaptive-reuse, the Timmy Awards honor outstanding real estate projects that transform older, historic buildings into housing, hotels, a school and other community resources. All of the projects were made financially feasible by Federal or State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits. Projects are judged for overall design and quality, interpretation and respect of historic elements, innovative approach to construction and use of building materials, community impact, sustainability and financial and market success.
“Many of these historic properties were left vacant and deteriorating as society moved on from their initial use,” said Thom Amdur, Executive Director NH&RA. “We’re amazed by the way developers reimagine these properties for a new era, as well as their ability to navigate the physical, financial and market challenges. Historic rehab doesn’t just transform blighted buildings; it anchors our old-line neighborhoods, spurs economic and community development initiatives, all while preserving a window into the past.”
The awards are selected annually by a multidisciplinary panel of judges that includes participants with backgrounds in development, consulting, architecture and historic preservation. This year, the judges will select from the pool of finalists to present awards in four specialty categories: Best Mill or Factory Rehabilitation, Achievement in Sustainability, Most Innovative Adaptive Reuse, and the David Reznick Award for Most Advanced Financial Structure. This will be the first year the last of these awards is presented in memory of David Reznick, one of the founders of the accounting firm CohnReznick.
“As one of the great thought leaders in affordable housing, David Reznick was very insightful on how to structure deals doing more with less,” said Peter Bell, President and CEO of NH&RA. “He engineered innovative financial structures with the ultimate goal of maximizing benefits to owners, residents and communities. We renamed this award as a way to honor his legacy each year.”
NH&RA created the “Timmy Awards” in 2005 in memory of Boston architect and preservation advocate J. Timothy Anderson. A singular figure in the historic rehabilitation business, his legacy includes numerous Boston area projects and a seminal study that helped preserve Miami’s South Beach area. The 2015 Timmy Awards are co-sponsored by the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
2015 Winner & Finalists
A winner has been announced in one category:
Best Historic Rehab Utilizing New Markets Tax Credits Winner
Cristo Rey Columbus High School (Columbus, OH)
Developer: Cristo Rey Columbus
Architect: Schooley Caldwell Associates
Historic Consultant: Benjamin D. Rickey & Co
Finalists have been announced in four categories:
Best Historic Rehab Utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits – Large (Development cost higher than $10 million)
Cottage Square Apartments (Lowell, MA)
Developer: Arch Street Development
Architect: Kuhn Riddle Architects
Historic Consultant: MacRostie Historic Advisors
DePaul Carriage Factory (Rochester, NY)
Developer: DePaul
Architect: SWBR Architects
Historic Consultant: Preservation Studios
El Barrio’s Artspace PS 109 (New York, NY)
Developer: Artspace Projects, Inc.
Architect and Historic Consultant: HHL Architects
House of Lebanon (Washington, DC)
Developer: Mission First Housing Group
Architect: Cunningham Quill
Historic Consultant: EHT Traceries
Best Market Rate or Mixed Income Residential Finalists
Counting House Lofts (Lowell, MA)
Developer: WinnCompanies
Architect: The Architectural Team
Historic Consultant: Epsilon Associates
Infinite Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Developer: CA Ventures
Architect: Pappageorge Haymes Partners
Historic Consultant: MacRostie Historic Advisors
Somerset (Chicago, IL)
Developer: Zidan Management Group
Architect: FitzGerald Associates Architects
Historic Consultant: MacRostie Historic Advisors
Voke Lofts (Worcester, MA)
Developer: WinnCompanies
Architect: The Architectural Team
Historic Consultant: Epsilon Associates
Best Commercial/Retail/Non-Residential Project Finalists
Dillon House (Topeka, KS)
Developer: Pioneer Group, Inc.
Architect: Treanor Architects
Historic Consultant: Spencer Preservation
Hampton Inn – Chicago Motor Club (Chicago, IL)
Developer: Murphy Asset Management
Architect: Hartshorne Plunkard
Historic Consultant: MacRostie Historic Advisors
Virgin Hotel Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Developer: John Buck Company
Architect: Booth Hansen Architects
Historic Consultant: MacRostie Historic Advisors
Best Historic Rehab Utilizing LIHTCs – Small (Under $10 million development cost)
New Center (Detroit, MI)
Developer: Shelborne Development
Architect: EGI, Inc.
Historic Consultant: Kidorf Preservation Consulting
Seaway Lofts (Oswego, NY)
Developer: Bentham Foundation and Sutton Real Estate Cos.
Architect: MacKnight Architecture
Historic Consultant: Saralinda Hooker, Planning & Development Consultant
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About National Housing & Rehabilitation Association
NH&RA is a professional association of companies and individuals who are involved in affordable housing, historic rehabilitation and New Markets Tax Credit development. Designed to foster relationships, NH&RA’s meetings are renowned for the combination of cutting-edge information and opportunities to network and collaborate. Members meet quarterly for serious discussions of significant issues affecting the tax credit and affordable housing industry. The J. Timothy Anderson Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation are presented annually at NH&RA’s Fall Developers Forum.
