In the News
What Will Happen with Hamburg’s Balthaser Building?
(February 17, 2012)
“What will happen with the Balthaser building located on the corner of Third and Pine Streets in Hamburg? Exactly what will become of the building is not yet known, but possibilities for the structure are under evaluation by a group of 21 individuals partaking in a feasibility assessment. The study is led by Donovan Rypkema, principal of PlaceEconomics…’In the end, [buildings are] real estate,’ said Rypkema. ‘The preservationists can love them, but in the end they’re a piece of real estate and we [have] to deal with them in the language and the approaches of real estate.’”
Hamburg Area Item
Athens Rising: What’s Up in New Development
(February 15, 2012)
“The Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation held a one-day symposium with around 150 attendees Feb. 4, using the historic Southern Mills as a focal point around which to frame a broader conversation about how historic preservation and notions of sustainability intersect… The first speaker, Donovan Rypkema of Washington, D.C.-based Place Economics, started off the presentations with a powerful set of criteria for what should constitute sustainable economic development. These criteria, backed by his firm’s work and research, laid out a model for economic development driven by local assets and identity, long-term thinking and a commitment to small local businesses… Rypkema also noted that since the recession began, large corporations have continued to shed jobs, and the recovery in employment has been due almost exclusively to hiring by small businesses.”
Flagpole Magazine
Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation Holds Southern Mills Symposium
(February 6, 2012)
“For $2 million, the Southern Manufacturing property can be yours… You’ll be buying an opportunity to renovate and remodel historic structures into something that can provide an environmental, economic and cultural benefit. Because that’s what historic preservation, done right, provides to a community. So said Donovan Rypkema, principal of Place Economics in Washington, D.C., and one of the speakers at Saturday’s symposium on the Southern Mills… Rypkema made a convincing case for why renovating an older, existing building is better than tearing it down and building a new one. For starters, demolition wastes energy, generates pollution, contributes to climate change and fills landfills unnecessarily. Renovation and reuse creates ‘measurable benefits,’ adding 18 jobs for every $1 million of investment. It increases the quality of life in a community—which is one of the biggest draws for ‘knowledge workers,’ people who usually work from home and who can live anywhere.”
AthensPatch
10,000 Certified Buildings Later, LEED Aims for Market Transformation
(November 30, 2011)
The U.S. Green Building Council is developing updates to its LEED standards: “The proposed updates should help address some of the criticisms LEED has faced… Donovan Rypkema, a building preservationist with PlaceEconomics in Washington, says LEED stands for ‘Lunatic Environmentalists Enthusiastically Demolishing.’ He accuses people of tearing down ‘perfectly good’ and historic buildings, only to justify their actions by claiming their new structures are LEED certified… He said his biggest complaint is that it is ‘about green building, not sustainable development.’ Rypkema says LEED is misguided in putting most of its emphasis on efficiency, when it should be giving much more consideration to the embodied energy that is already in existing buildings… [Scot Horst, the senior vice president of LEED], points out that there is a significant push to include more lifecycle and embodied energy analysis for the next update, including better labeling that includes such information.”
ecomagination.com
Small Business ‘Backbone of the Economy’
(October 28, 2011)
“Downtown revitalization and historic preservation are the prime movers, along with small businesses, of the U.S. economy. That was the message delivered forcefully Thursday by Donovan Rypkema during the closing keynote address of the 2011 Illinois Main Street Conference… He said downtowns are local assets. ‘Downtown is invariably where millions of dollars of infrastructure investments have already been made by previous generations,’ Rypkema said. ‘Downtown revitalization through historic preservation is the best example in this country of sustained development.’ While about half the cost of a new building goes toward materials, he said about 70 percent of the money spent to revitalize historic buildings goes to workers, as much of the materials can be reused. The money those employees are paid is recirculated throughout the community.”
Galesburg Register-Mail
Preservation Group Meeting Unique
(October 25, 2011)
The 2011 Illinois Main Street Conference and Illinois Association of Historic Preservation Commissions are both being held in Galesburg this week: “There is some overlap between the two. Donovan Rypkema, a principal of PlaceEconomics, is delivering the talk which will serve as the closing of the Main Street Conference and the opening of the Historic Preservation Commission’s event. Rypkema will talk about Main Street in Today’s Economy …A unique event will be Rypkema’s seminar, What’s New with Historic Preservation Incentives and Beyond. ‘We’re going to actually record it and stream it to some of those smaller communities in southern Illinois that can’t make it to the conference,’ [City Associate Planner] Steve Gugliotta said. The recording will be put on the city’s website for anyone else who is interested but unable to attend.”
Galesburg Register-Mail
Local Historic Preservation
(October 5, 2011)
“A study released by the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources [by PlaceEconomics] examines the economic impact of historic preservation in the state. The study, Good News in Tough Times, indicates that historic preservation can provide numerous economic benefits in terms of job creation, tourism and revitalization of downtown business districts.”
Georgia Municipal Association
Ditmer: Preservation Pays Off
(September 2, 2011)
“The $870 billion stimulus package was passed to create jobs two years ago. The Congressional Budget Office says each job created by the package cost $228,000. An Aug. 27 White House report says each job created through federal agencies cost $399,888. Those are both considerably more than the tax credit to encourage preservation projects, which cost the Treasury an inflation-adjusted $16.6 billion over 30 years and generated 1.8 million jobs at just $9,222 each.
The report by PlaceEconomics was presented by Donovan Rypkema at Colorado Preservation Inc.’s annual meeting. It encompasses job creation and revitalizing deteriorating downtowns and neighborhoods — raising property values, tax credits, heritage tourism, and reducing environmental degradation. For those of us who’ve been taunted that saving old buildings was pure emotion and no economics, the study is strong support of our battle.”
Denver Post
Looking to revive Woodbury’s downtown by small steps
(July 22, 2011)
The group commissioned a study by Donovan Rypkema of PlaceEconomics in Washington that was presented to about 50 people during a recent meeting at City Hall. Rypkema’s message: Start small. Accomplish a few projects, then build on your successes. “I liked what he said because that is the way I have been thinking,” Riskie said. “Too many times, people have had grand ideas here that really have no chance because they are too big.”
Philadelphia Inquirer
Consultant: Start small with downtown Woodbury revitalization and big things will happen
(July 13, 2011)
“The good news is, Rypkema said, ‘It’s not a hopeless cause. There’s lots of things they can do tomorrow to make little differences.’ Little differences was one of the themes of his presentation. He complimented Mayor Harry Riskie’s campaign to get a town clock put in at the train station as one example and suggested the city pursue more youth-oriented activities downtown and take advantage of its unique history and said Main Street and the Historic Preservation Committee should collaborate to prepare written, illustrated guidelines. Rypkema described himself as a proponent of the ‘trickle-up’ theory of revitalization: Do the little things, and the big things will follow.”
Gloucester County Times
Preservation Is A Powerful Economic Tool, Rypkema Says
(June 25, 2011)
“About 50 business owners, community leaders, residents, and state historic preservation experts heard a presentation by international economics and preservation expert Donovan Rypkema of Washington, D.C., principal of PlaceEconomics…“There are very few economic activities of any kind, the U.S. Department of Commerce has 527 categories of industries, very few of which have this combination of numbers of jobs created and household income generated,” said Mr. Rypkema. “Almost no industry of those 527 has as much local economic oomph as does rehabilitation of historic buildings.””
Mackinac Island Town Crier
Old Buildings Combine Sustainability, Preservation
(June 6, 2011)
“‘This whole idea that reusing existing resources — especially historic buildings — is the ultimate in recycling is beginning to get some traction,’ agrees Donovan Rypkema, one of America’s most prominent and outspoken preservationists, and author of the classic book in the field, The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide.”
Miller-McCune Magazine
Saving old buildings creates more jobs than new construction, saves energy, says PlaceEconomics’
Don Rypkema
(May 22, 2011)
“‘Old buildings are the new economy….That’s a catch phrase we hear often these days, Rypkema said, ‘but it’s not just about adding solar panels. Sustainable development is the ability to meet our own needs without prejudicing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Historic preservation has a central role in all that.’ In the past five years or so, ‘there has been a lot of substantive research in this area,’ he said, which has identified four major economic impacts of preservation: creation of jobs and household income, increased property values, revitalizing the ‘Main Street community’ and development of heritage tourism.”
Deseret News (Utah)
There’s Value in Preserving Town’s Historic Homes
(May 8,2011)
“Real estate and economic development consultant Donovan Rypkema’s recent presentation on the value of historic preservation was even better than expected…Rypkema contends that historic preservation is one of the most powerful generators of local economic development in terms of job creation and household income.In Georgia, for example, $1 million in output from the automobile manufacturing sector accounts for 3.5 jobs and $245,000 in salary and wages, while the same amount of output in poultry processing generates 10.4 jobs and $426,000 in salaries and wages.”
Athens Banner-Herald
Historic assets can help boost both state, local economies
(April 10, 2011)
“Many leaders in towns like Athens, Madison and Savannah, among others, understand the concept that historic preservation benefits communities economically…Late last year, two experts with the Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development consulting firm, PlaceEconomics, completed a study for the state Department of Natural Resources regarding the impact of historic preservation on the state’s economy…Rypkema will give his presentation from 11 a.m. to noon at the UGA Chapel on North Campus, and the barbecue luncheon will follow from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Founders Memorial Garden, a short distance away on the campus…Rypkema’s talk will be worth hearing and will reinforce efforts that have been taking place in Athens for decades now.”
Athens Banner-Herald
Tom Eblen: Preservation and reuse is good for Lexington’s health and future
(April 6, 2011)
“Donovan Rypkema, a Washington, D.C., real estate consultant, pointed out that not tearing down old buildings preserves a city’s options as the economy, people’s needs and real estate markets change. He said many young, educated people are moving back to the cities their parents and grandparents left. One reason is that cities’ mix of old and new buildings makes them more interesting places to live.”
Lexington Herald-Leader
Preserving Whiskey Row and ending myths
(April 3, 2011)
“According to economist Donovan Rypkema, that translates to 23 jobs created locally per million or 345 jobs directly related to the federal tax credit program over the past two years and 2,200 jobs cultivated by the state preservation credit. Rypkema states, ‘That is 2.5 more jobs than is created by a million dollars of new construction in Kentucky and 8 more jobs than a million dollars of manufacturing output in Kentucky.’”
Louisville Courier-Journal
Misunderstanding Historic Preservation
(March 17, 2011)
“According to a recent piece by Donovan Rykema, a nationally known consultant on historic preservation economics, it turns out that smart growth’s biggest ally is – you guessed it – historic preservation. Rykema’s reasons are many. Most importantly, he emphasizes, is the fact that historic preservation is an avenue for examining and valuing our existing assets. Why invest money to tear down and reconstruct what’s already there? Historic buildings by and large have water lines, gutters, and streets already in place. Older ones, designed before cars were the dominant mode of transportation, instill surroundings with strong pedestrian orientations. If our future is aimed at reducing our reliance on automobiles, using buildings planned for human access is the smart place to start.”
Next American City
“Smart Growth Law” for Redevelopment Renders Ca Environmental Quality Act Meaningless
(March 2, 2011)
“Donovan Rypkema…in a 2007 lecture to the Historic Districts Council Annual Conference, held in New York City says this: ‘Razing historic buildings results in a triple hit on scarce resources. First, we are throwing away thousands of dollars of embodied energy. Second, we are replacing it with materials vastly more consumptive of energy. What are most historic houses built from? Brick, plaster, concrete and timber. What are among the least energy consumptive of materials? Brick, plaster, concrete and timber. What are major components of new buildings? Plastic, steel, vinyl and aluminum. What are among the most energy consumptive of materials? Plastic, steel, vinyl and aluminum. Third, recurring embodied energy savings increase dramatically as a building life stretches over fifty years. You’re a fool or a fraud if you say you are an environmentally conscious builder and yet are throwing away historic buildings, and their components.’”
San Diego Reader
Letters: Challenges in the City
(February 26, 2011)
“In a meta-analysis of studies conducted in several states, economist Donovan Rypkema found that the ‘results of these studies are remarkably clear: property values in local historic districts appreciate significantly faster than the market as a whole in the vast majority of cases.’”
Houston Chronicle
LEED is Not An Excuse To Demolish And Build A Monster Home
(February 24, 2011)
“Donovan Rypkema once suggested that LEED was an acronym for ‘Lunatic Environmentalists Enthusiastically Demolishing.’ In Toronto recently, there was a case of blatant misuse of LEED, using it as an excuse to knock down a bungalow to replace it with a house 2-1/2 times the area and double the height of any other in sight, (with a tower that is even higher) but hey, it’s OK, because it’s gonna be LEED Certified.”
Treehugger
Study Released Historic Preserv. Economic Impact
(February 1, 2011)
“Commissioner Mark Williams of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced the recent completion of a study on the impact of historic preservation on the state`s economy. ‘Good News in Tough Times: Historic Preservation and the Georgia Economy’ was prepared by Donovan Rypkema and Caroline Cheong of PlaceEconomics, a real estate and economic development consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.”
Coosa Valley News
Seattle’s Pioneer Square Wants You!
(January 22, 2011)
“‘There seems to be the reluctance to act — meaning to do anything at all — until absolutely everyone, including everyone’s dog — has signed on,’ says Donovan Rypkema, a consultant who put together reports for the city and Pioneer Square leaders in 2002 and 2009. ‘This has caused some — including some developers, some property owners and even to an extent the city — to simply withdraw from participation. Consensus is important. Unanimity is impossible.’”
Seattle Times
Living our Downtown
(December 18, 2010)
“Writing a few years ago in The Journal of American Planning, Donovan Rypkema declared: ‘If we want to have effective environmental and transportation policies, downtowns are important. If we want to have meaningful historic preservation, downtowns are important. If we want smart growth, downtowns are not only important but also irreplaceable….Rypkema’s point should not be lost on the Web 2.0 generation. People don’t need Facebook, as much as face time, to know they are alive and members of a community comprised of flesh and blood and bone and sinew, of laughter and anger and inspiration and ingenuity. That’s what downtowns provide: The certainty that, in the public square, no one is really alone.’”
Times & Transcript CanadaEast
Ed McKeon: A Message to Home Wreckers
Preservation of our historic stock of older buildings is also economically sound. According to Donovan Rypkema, author of The Economics of Preservation: ‘If a community did nothing but protect its historic neighborhoods it will have advanced every Smart Growth principle. Historic preservation IS Smart Growth.’”
The Middletown Press
Downtowns Struggle After Fires
(November 13, 2010)
Jeff Siegler [Director of Revitalization at Heritage Ohio] is familiar with estimates prepared by Donovan Rypkema, PlaceEconomics, Washington, D.C., taken from studying the impact on communities experiencing the loss of a downtown building. Rypkema’s findings, based on a small building sitting empty for one year in a small-town commercial district, would have the following impact on the community…”
Mount Vernon News
Preservation enthusiasts enjoy three days in Montgomery
(November 7, 2010)
“With ‘Historic Preservation IS Economic Development’ as a major focus, Ellen Mertins arranged for Donovan Rypkema to serve as the conference’s keynote speaker. Arriving from Shanghai, Rypkema, the nation’s leading authority on preservation and downtown development, spoke to a sold-out crowd that gathered for lunch at the Alley Station.”
Montgomery Advertiser
Viable for the Long Haul
(November 5, 2010)
“A few days ago an international authority on community and commercial development was in Leavenworth at the behest of the Preservation Alliance of Leavenworth, and supported by the Kansas State Historical Society. Donovan Rypkema has studied what makes commercial reinvestment successful for a quarter-century, and gave us some good advice on what ‘sustainable’ development means.”
Leavenworth Times