The Church on Ninth
We’ve mentioned this project elsewhere, but we’re really excited about The Church on Ninth!
It's always fun when an architect gets to enjoy the experience as a client. As you may know, our owner, Sheri Scott, recently purchased an abandoned historic church in downtown Cincinnati. In the process of completing the historical renovation, Sheri retained Springhouse Architects for the architecture work, which includes interior design. She wants to convert this space into a lovely special events venue. Our thanks to Kayla, our SHA interior designer, who met with The Church on Ninth's wedding venue consultant to begin selecting the design materials that are sure to make this space just as magical as the bride and groom's special day.
Sometimes sustainability looks like using left over materials. We're planning to use this left over stone (from a spec home we constructed) as a feature wall in the bridal suite at The Church on Ninth. A great example of sustainability by restoring an abandoned building to its former beauty!
The sunlight is streaming through the original stained glass windows and we can just imagine the beautiful weddings that will one day be hosted in this historic structure. With design work well underway for what promises to be one of Cincinnati’s premier special event venues, we invite you to follow along with The Church's progress at @thechurchonninth on Facebook and Instagram. Watch a video tour here!
Historic Preservation Tax Incentive
Speaking of The Church on Ninth, the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program encourages private sector investment in the rehabilitation and re-use of historic buildings. The intent of the program is amazing. We need help in this country to save our building history. The number one way to save a building is with money. The government has put significant money and resources behind this effort, and I am so grateful for that. Additionally, the people in the department of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program were responsive, helpful, and knowledgeable. I can't say enough about how positive the process was for us.
Despite all of the possible benefits this program has to offer, we decided not to use or apply for monies from the government, at both the state and federal levels. At the state level, the program is competitive in nature. Factors such as income and population help the state decide if a project is in an area that needs economic recovery help. Based on where The Church on Ninth is located, we felt the likelihood of being awarded a tax incentive was quite low.
The odds of receiving a 20% federal tax incentive were much better, with federal not being competitive, but based on meeting specified requirements. With lots of back and forth, we agreed to recommendations on refinishing the flooring, rebuilding the stairs, and even rerouting all of the HVAC runs to avoid soffits and exposed ductwork. Then came a sticking point.
In the entryway on both the first and second floors, there are deep coffered ceilings. At first, we believed that the ceilings were a dark stained wood. Upon further inspection, it turned out that they were actually faux painted with a terrible fake wood grain and some sort of polyurethane over that. The guidelines state that if there is a treatment currently, you can maintain that treatment. That's great - we could simply paint over the currently painted coffered ceilings. Unfortunately, the way the inspectors looked at it - because it was faux painted wood pattern, we would be required to strip all of the existing paint rebuild the coffered ceiling where it had been damaged through the years, and stain the wood that was there. The cost of doing that was more than what the tax credit offered, so the economics didn't pan out. The state would rather lose historic control of this building than compromise on this one point that is clearly a gray area within their requirements. And that was the end of my historic tax credit journey.
One of the positive things that came of this is that Springhouse Architects has not only been through the process, but has been through the process as the client. This is a huge perspective switch that we are proud of. Developing our own projects certainly has strengthened our empathy for our clients.
Are historic preservation tax incentives right for your renovation? Be sure to read all the fine print and discuss the pros and cons with your architect or building contractor!