GrowSmart Advocacy
Support Historic Preservation!


Houlton's Masonic Building and the Temple Theater (photo courtesy of the Temple Theater)

We've been working with other partners and allies in the Maine Downtowns Coalition to improve Maine's tax credit for historic preservation, which is a held over in Augusta as LD #262. This effort is critical to drive revitalization and economic development in our historic downtowns, Main Streets and villages. Please contact your legislators to express your support for this important legislation.

For maximum effectiveness, edit the letter below to include examples of historic buildings in your own community that might benefit from financial incentives for preservation.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Vote for the Historic Preservation Tax Credit

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I hope that you will work hard to enact LD 262, the Act to Amend the Credit for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties, during this winter's legislative session.

While I understand that the state's budget is tight, this tax credit is a crucial investment in Maine's communities, and in the long-term economic health of our state.

Economists have estimated that the credit could create hundreds of jobs annually by substantially increasing private investment in our historic buildings.

Both the Brookings report and the recent Quality Places Council report made it clear that our quality places - including our historic Main Streets, village centers, and downtowns - are the key to our economic future. Anything we can do to support these places is a smart investment.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
December 06, 2007


Background Information

Building on Maine’s strengths – Building Maine’s Communities

Maine has one of the highest rates of historic buildings in the nation, yet it has one of the lowest rates of utilization of the Historic Preservation Tax Credit.  Revamping the tax credit to support investments in our communities will help to support thriving downtown districts in nearly every town in the state.

 LD 262, An Act to Amend the Credit for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties, sponsored by Rep. Ted Koffman (D- Bar Harbor), will revamp the credit by making it fully refundable, eliminating the cap, and providing benefits for smaller rehabilitations than current law allows. 

Preserving Historical Districts boosts Maine’s “Brand”

  • Maine is a unique place and that helps to drive Maine’s economy.  From tourism to companies like LL Bean, businesses benefit from the notion that Maine has a high quality of life, a clean environment and has a “sense of place” that is different from the rest of the country.
  • Maine’s sense of place and high quality of life also help to attract, and keep, businesses and their employees.

Maine’s current historic tax credit is under utilized

  • Nearly one-third of Maine’s housing stock was built before 1939 – giving it the 4th oldest housing stock in the nation.
  • But Maine is 42nd out of 50 states for the number of projects taking advantage of the credit between 2000 and 2005.

 Remake Maine’s tax credit to spur preservation efforts

  • Maine’s historic preservation tax credit is one of the few in the nation that is tied to the federal historic preservation tax credit.  Maine should decouple from the federal code in order to provide greater opportunities for Maine communities.
  • Remove the cap on project size – currently set at $100,000
  • Make the credit fully refundable
  • Make the credit transferable to allow out of state investors and third parties to benefit
  • Allow smaller rehabilitation projects to qualify – projects between $50,000 and $250,000 would not qualify for the federal credit, but could participate in a state version.

Historic Preservation Tax Credit will boost economy

  • An analysis of LD 262 by Planning Decisions, Inc and Lipman, Frizzell & Mitchell, LLC of Columbia, Maryland for Maine Preservation in April 2007, suggests that Maine could increase qualified development activity from a current rate of $5 million to more than $65 million with these changes. 
  • Maine could add 800 jobs a year, spread across the state, according to an analysis by Dr. Charles Colgan
  • Making the credit available to smaller projects better suits Maine’s building stock.
  • Every county in the state has eligible properties; this will help to revitalize rural downtowns.