Thanks to a building and manufacturing boom in the late 1800s and early 1900s, plenty of big industrial warehouses, factories, and similar structures stand in urban centers and small cities across the Midwest. Many now sit empty; stoic relics of a bygone time that present challenges to their communities.…
Whether you’re a commercial developer, public entity or homeowner, it can be daunting to consider how to make your historic property work for your needs yet remain feasible for future generations. But let’s be clear – much of what you may have heard about restoration projects probably isn’t true.…
For RDG, preservation means finding and expressing meaning through new approaches to maintain historic buildings and districts for future generations. We work in this field to contribute to society, because we believe society is enhanced by carrying forward physical representations of our past.…
A community isn’t magically revitalized by spiffing up a building or two. Creative vision, thoughtful planning, and revived key places and structures can impress and energize locals and visitors alike, enhancing pride of place and making further changes seem not just possible, but desirable.…
And what does it take to preserve its history?
The one and a half story, wood-framed structure sits just off Highway 141, south of Coon Rapids, Iowa. It could be a farmhouse on almost any Iowa country road: unassuming, practical, a cobbled-together mass of additions and renovations that has served hard working farm families through the years.…
Hotel Maytag in Newton, IA Offers Great Reasons
“The City realized the building was going to go further downhill unless something was done. We stepped in, bought the building and began to search for a developer.”
So says Craig Armstrong, economic development specialist for the City of Newton, Iowa, about the distinctive and once-grand Hotel Maytag.…
Impressive homes, churches and other historic buildings dot the Heritage Hill Historic District in Burlington, Iowa, overlooking the downtown and giving unique character to this Mississippi River town. That character can translate to visitor and tourism economic gold in a community – if property owners and community members understand both the why and the how of appropriately preserving, restoring, and/or rehabilitating historic structures.…
Modern technology gives Architects access to places ladders can not reach, saving time and money.
When RDG investigated window and stone conditions at the Iowa State Capitol building over 20 years ago, invasive and expensive tower cranes were brought on site to deliver the architects face to face with the building, over the course of a full week.…
Communities are searching for ways to improve their local economies, enhance their quality of life and revitalize their neighborhoods while still preserving their own cultural and natural heritage. Historic preservation and heritage tourism are two prominent economic and community development strategies to accomplish these objectives.…
