Making preservation affordable
For half a century, the Historic Columbus Foundation has gone about the often thankless mission of preserving some of this city’s irreplaceable sites, restoring others to their former grandeur, and saving still others from collapse or demolition. In partnership with other local, state and national organizations — Uptown Columbus, the Bradley-Turner Foundation, the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Historic Linwood Foundation, both the Georgia and National Trusts for Historic Preservation just a few among them — HCF has made this community’s rich history a major part of its appeal, esthetically, educationally and economically.
As staff writer Larry Gierer reported earlier this week, Historic Columbus development funds invested in more than 80 projects have infused some $14 million into the local tax base since 1968. Not bad for a project that started with a $25,000 Junior League of Columbus donation.
Two new loan programs promise to advance that mission dramatically: an expanded Façade Loan Program and a new Rehabilitation Loan Program. Through the former, whose former ceiling of $5,000 will now be increased to $15,000, owners of older Columbus homes can borrow the funds for exterior improvements such as repainting or window and roof repairs. The Rehabilitation Loan Program will provide loans of up to $100,000 for larger restoration projects involving older structures in jeopardy. The community development organization Neighborworks Columbus will be HCF’s financial underwriting partner for these programs.
The founding executive director of Historic Columbus, Janice Biggers, has been part of a moving force in all that HCF has accomplished from its founding. So it’s more than fitting that the Janice Persons Biggers Revolving-Redevelopment Fund is what this program will be called.
Still time to give
Christmas is over, but there’s still time — for many, a perfect time — to give the best gift they’ll receive this holiday season.
There’s a special need for blood and platelet donations right now. The massive increase in travel over the extended holiday stretch from Thanksgiving through New Year means more accidents, more injuries and more need for blood. But it’s also a time when even the most generous and thoughtful people are sometimes too busy with other holiday and family matters to think about blood donation as part of their giving ritual.
“Many of us celebrate this time of year with loved ones,” said Nick Gehrig, communications director for Red Cross Blood Services, ”but patients may spend the holidays and ring in the New Year from a hospital room.” That’s not where anybody, or anybody’s loved ones, would choose to spend time this season. Spending it in a tense and critical need for blood could be far worse.
There are numerous area places and times for blood and platelet donations scheduled through mid-January; click here for a list, or go to redcrossblood.org. You can also call 1-800-RED CROSS. You can be sure this gift will be a welcome one.
This story was originally published December 28, 2016 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Making preservation affordable."