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Downtown moves forward with historic designation

Christine Metz

The City Council is backing an effort to get downtown Steamboat Springs on the National Register of Historic Places.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the council agreed to allow city staff significant time to do the research and preparation necessary for a nomination to the national registry. The request comes from Main Street Steamboat, a group that thinks the historic designation would bring community and economic benefits to the downtown.

The city is looking at a historic district that would run from Seventh to 12th streets and from the centerline of Yampa Street to Oak Street.



Council President Paul Strong said he fully supported the research and preparation of the nomination to the National Park Service, but he asked that city staff check with the council before submitting the application.

Winnie Delliquadri, of the city’s Intergovernmental Services Department, said 75 percent of the buildings within the district must be contributing to its historic character — a requirement that factored into the boundaries of the proposed district.



Contributing buildings would be those that have some historical significance, convey a sense of the past and were constructed in a way that reflects a certain time period.

Part of the nomination process will involve researching the buildings in the proposed district to ensure that criteria are met.

Hopes are to submit an application to the Colorado Historical Society Review Board by December. If approved, the nomination will be sent to the National Park Service. An approval and announcement could come as soon as April 2006 from the Secretary of Interior.

Preparing a nomination to the national registry will take significant time and could cost up to $20,000, a staff memo indicates.

The Main Street group hopes the designation would help the downtown area become a Certified Main Street Community and advance the group’s vision for a historic and economically prosperous downtown.

The designation would not come with any restrictions on property owners, but it does come with financial incentives. The owner of an eligible property can voluntarily initiate tax credit and grant projects within the national historic district.

— To reach Christine Metz call 871-4229

or e-mail cmetz@steamboatpilot.com


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