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.