Category Archives: News

PRESERVE NEW YORK GRANT SUPPORTS GREATER WESTCOTT NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT

Jay DiLorenzo, president of the Preservation League of New York State, and Grant Johnson, PACNY president, at the Preserve New York award ceremony in Albany.

The Preservation Association of Central New York (PACNY) received a $10,000 Preserve New York grant from the Preservation League of New York State for a reconnaissance-level survey of the Greater Westcott Neighborhood. The grant will be used to create a nomination for listing in the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

PACNY’s award was among 30 grants in 21 counties. The New York State Council on the Arts, the Preservation League of New York State and the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation announced the recipients of the 25th round of grant funding Sept. 12 at a news conference in Albany.

“This project fits into our core mission of advocating for the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods,” said PACNY President Grant Johnson, who attended the grant event. “We hope a successful nomination of the Greater Westcott Neighborhood to the National Register will enable more building owners to take advantage of New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credits.”

The Westcott Neighborhood is a streetcar suburb that illustrates urban and social changes from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries, including the rise in popularity of single detached homes. The neighborhood retains a commercial hub as well as a number of religious and civic buildings.

PACNY will use the $10,000 grant to hire Samuel D. Gruber and Bruce Harvey of Syracuse to complete the survey and State and National Register nominations.

Three other Onondaga County projects also won Preserve New York grants. They are:

  • The University Neighborhood Preservation Association was awarded $10,800 to create a Gustav Stickley House Historic Structure Report. The 1900 house is one of the premier Arts and Crafts sites in the United States.
  • The Greater Syracuse Land Bank won a $4,000 grant to create a Building Condition Report for the South Presbyterian Church. The vacant church at 2110 S. Salina St. dates to 1906. Its longtime congregation left in 2006, and the Land Bank will use the building condition report to provide guidance on preservation and maintenance for prospective new owners.
  • The Village of Fayetteville received $6,341 to complete a reconnaissance-level survey of historic resources. A survey will help to determine eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, which would expand the availability of historic rehabilitation tax credits for approved repairs to older buildings.

The Preserve New York grant program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has provided additional support for projects in New York City, Nassau and Suffolk counties.

PACNY Announces 2016 Board of Directors and Officers

The Preservation Association of Central New York (PACNY) elected five new board members at its March 6 annual meeting. Joining the board for three-year terms are:

Cynthia Carrington Carter, owner of Renaissance Studio, which specializes in historic resources surveys, National Register nominations and Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record reports.

Rich Cunningham, vice president and senior consultant of Thoma Development Consultants, a community development and planning firm in Cortland.

Renée K. Gadoua, a freelance writer and editor whose work appears in numerous local and national publications.

Robert Haley, an architect and educator in private practice and vice chair of the Landmark Preservation Board for the City of Syracuse.

Grant Johnson, a senior cultural resources specialist at Environmental Design & Research, Landscape Architecture, Engineering & Environmental Services, D.P.C. in Syracuse.

PACNY’s Board of Directors for 2016-2017 also includes:

Murray Gould (President), Port City Preservation, LLC
Patrick Heaton (Vice president). Environmental Design & Research, D.P.C.
Andrew D’Agostino (Treasurer), The Community Preservation Corporation
John Auwaerter, SUNY Environmental Science & Forestry
Dean Biancavilla, Holmes-King-Kallquist & Associates, Architects
Mary Duffin, Jamesville-Dewitt Central School District
Barton Feinberg, Sutton Real Estate Company, LLC
Julie Gedro, Empire State College
Nicholas Petragnani Jr., The Community Preservation Corporation

PACNY would also like to thank the following former Board members for their dedication and service to the organization:

Margaret Sithole (Secretary) Empire State College
Jeanie Gleisner, Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board
Michael Long, Finger Lakes Planning & Development
Patricia O’Reilly, New York State Homes & Community Renewal
Bruce Poushter, Sugarman Law Firm

About PACNY

Founded in 1974, the Preservation Association of Central New York (PACNY) is dedicated to the conservation of our area’s historic architecture, neighborhoods and main streets, and preserving the past through adaptive reuse to serve as a living part of our community. Learn more about PACNY’s activities at pacny.net.

2015 Annual PACNY Member Meeting, Officer And Board Of Director Election Results

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Some of the attending at the 2015 PACNY Annual Meeting.

The Preservation Association of Central New York (PACNY) held its Annual Members Meeting on Sunday, January 25, 2015 at the Barnes-Hiscock Mansion in Syracuse. The event was well attended (over 50 members were present). PACNY President Murray Gould provided remarks that included a review of PACNY’s events and activities in 2014 followed by announcements of our goals and initiatives for 2015. We are pleased to announce that our Annual Theme for 2015 will be “Celebrating Central New York”, which references PACNY’s expanded mission to support preservation advocacy in the five-county region, including Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties. In addition, PACNY is exploring strategies to increase our funding and revenue streams to support our goal of retaining an Executive Director to better deliver our mission.

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Ruth Pierpont presenting to attendees.

The keynote address was provided by Ms. Ruth Pierpont, the Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Historic Preservation Office. Ms. Pierpont’s presentation was an interesting and engaging summary of SHPO’s recent activities and initiatives throughout the state (including Central New York). The Deputy Commissioner also provided to PACNY a thoughtful Certificate of Merit in recognition of our recent 40th Anniversary in 2014.

In addition, at the Annual Meeting the members in attendance elected our new Officers and Board of Directors.

PACNY’s Officers for 2015-2016:

* Murray Gould, President (Port City Preservation, LLC)
* Patrick Heaton, Vice-President (Environmental Design & Research, D.P.C.)
* Andrew D’Agostino, Treasurer (The Community Preservation Corporation)
* Margaret Sithole, Secretary (Empire State College)

PACNY’s Board of Directors for 2015:

* John Auwaerter (SUNY-Environmental Science & Forestry)
* Dean Biancavilla (Holmes – King – Kallquist & Associates, Architects)
* Mary Duffin (Jamesville-Dewitt Central School District)
* Barton Feinberg (Sutton Real Estate Company, LLC)
* Julie Gedro (Empire State College)
* Jeanie Gleisner (Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board)
* Michael Long (Finger Lakes Planning & Development)
* Patricia O’Reilly (New York State Homes & Community Renewal)
* Nicholas Petragnani, Jr. (The Community Preservation Corporation)
* Bruce Poushter (Sugarman Law Firm)

PACNY would also like to thank the following former Board members whose terms expired this year for their dedication and service to the organization:

* Elizabeth Crawford (Crawford & Stearns Architects & Preservation Planners)
* Bruce Harvey (Harvey Research & Consulting)
* Tom Magnarelli (CuseTonight)
* Michael Stanton (National Grid)

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The meeting after the meeting at the Barnes-Hiscock Mansion.

PACNY’s new Board of Directors looks forward to continuing to serve our membership and the community by advocating for the preservation of our region’s historic resources.