Downtown East St.

Louis
Historic District
East St. Louis (St. Clair), Illinois

What is the Downtown East St. Louis Historic District?


The district is a pending listing in the National Register of
Historic Places funded by the City of East St. Louis.

The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council approved the
district nomination on June 27. The National Park Service
received the nomination on August 2.

The primary purpose of the district is make historic tax credits
available for building rehabilitation.

In Illinois, an owner can APPLY FOR and RECEIVE historic
tax credits while a National Register of Historic Places listing
is still underway.
What is the National Register of Historic Places?



The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of
the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized
by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National
Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a
national program to coordinate and support public and private
efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and
archeological resources.
How Do Properties Get Listed in the National Register of
Historic Places?


To be considered eligible, a property must meet the National
Register Criteria for Evaluation. This involves examining the
propertys age, integrity, and significance:

Age and Integrity. Is the property old enough to be
considered historic (generally at least 50 years old) and does
it still look much the way it did in the past?

Significance. Is the property associated with events,
activities, or developments that were important in the past?
With the lives of people who were important in the past? With
significant architectural history, landscape history, or
engineering achievements? Does it have the potential to yield
information through archeological investigation about our
past?
There are no
restrictions on
what you can and
cant do with
buildings listed in
the National
Register!

Historic Tax Credits Available Within the District

Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit: 20%

Illinois River Edge Historic Tax Credit: 25%
Historic tax credits are issued after rehabilitation is
complete. This means that no developer gets the
money until after doing the project, and that city
government captures tax dollars while the project is
underway.

Owners can apply for these programs NOW.
Union Trust Company Bank Building (1922)

Listed in National Register, 5/27/2014
Broadview Hotel (1927)

Listed in National Register, 12/31/2013
National Catholic Community House (1920)
MURPHY BUILDING

(Already abated for lead & asbestos, unlike
the Broadview & others.)
Murphy Building
Recommendations
Basic Due Diligence: Engineering Report
Necessary for demolition anyway, would determine structural problems. (Illinois EPA
commissioned a report in 2012 that found no severe problems save rear walll.)

Development Diligence: Cost Benefit Analysis
What are the potential property and sales tax yields to East St. Louis for demolition, and
for rehabilitation? Does demolition cost more than stabilization? Good data helps make
good decisions.

Request for Proposals
Who knows that this building is eligible for tax credits? And that it is abated?

Stabilization
Remove collapsing rear wall (still eligible for historic tax credits), roof, structural
supports. City should procure bids, evaluate against demolition cost. (St. Louis about to
embark on demolition OR stabilization funding.)




What St. Louis Knows About the
Power of Historic Tax Credits
Monroe at Blair in Old North St. Louis, 2005
Monroe at Blair in Old North St. Louis, 2007
Freedom Place (4011 Delmar Boulevard)

National Register Listing: 2008

Redevelopment Started: 2014

$12.7M project; 20 studio apartments, 24 one-
bedroom units, 16 two-bedroom units and eight
three-bedroom units

Hammond Lofts

National Register Listing: 2009

Redevelopment completed: 2014

$13.7M; 56 apartments
Metropolitan Building

National Register Listing: 1977

Redevelopment completed: 2013

$25M ; 72 artist live/work spaces

Rehabilitation required complete replacement of
about 35% of the roof, 20% of the 8
th
floor, and
about 10% of the 7
th
floor and all the remaining
floors were reinforced with structural decking.
Forest Park Hall

National Register Listing: 2001
Redevelopment completed: 2009

$2M project

Rawhide Building

National Register Listing: 2001

Redevelopment completed: 2009

Questions?
Michael R. Allen
Director, Preservation Research Office

2653 Locust Street #201
St. Louis, MO 63103

314-920-5680

michael@preservationresearch.com