TUPELO — The Nationwide Park Service is trying so as to add extra of Downtown Tupelo to the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations, together with a handful of buildings within the space south of North of Mill Village.
The town has been involved with the Mississippi Division of Archives and Historical past, a statewide company that falls beneath the umbrella of the Nationwide Park Service, to develop the federal district of Tupelo’s historic downtown space to incorporate about 4 blocks south of Clark Road, the place the present border lies.
Doyce Deas, of the Tupelo Historic Preservation Society, mentioned it was the Downtown Tupelo Principal Road Affiliation’s intent to incorporate this space in 2014, when downtown was initially designated a historic district, but it surely was unnoticed mistakenly. Working alongside Growth Companies Director Tanner Newman and the Tupelo Planning Committee, Deas started the method of amending that error.
Underneath the proposed enlargement, out of the 18 buildings within the space, eight might be counted as contributing to the historic district. This would come with properties such because the Gravlee Lumber, Tupelo Oil and Gin Firm, and the Garner-Watson constructing. The town presently owns Gravlee Lumber and is trying to promote it for redevelopment.
“That could be a very historic piece of property, and we simply can’t lose it,” Deas mentioned of Gravlee Lumber.
Metropolis Lawyer Ben Logan mentioned there have been two potential consumers for Gravlee, and one of many two expressed curiosity in including the constructing to the Nationwide Register. The opposite potential purchaser, he mentioned, was “ambivalent” to the concept.
“We’re the proprietor of Gravlee; we try to promote it,” Logan mentioned. “It has some historical past to it. It additionally wants some work.”
Logan mentioned town is ready on the potential consumers to finish their value determinations and ship letters of intent. He famous town nonetheless has the choice to demolish the constructing if neither of those offers goes by way of.
The enlargement of the federal district comes with incentives, together with 25% off of state taxes and 20% off of federal taxes, in accordance with Nationwide Register Coordinator James Bridgforth, who was the lead on the undertaking for MDAH.
“(The tax credit score) is a superb technique to make tasks like this possible,” Deas mentioned. “Typically, the situation of the constructing and work that must be accomplished is substantial and these tax credit make it possible.”
Bridgforth mentioned expects a response from the Nationwide Park Service by the tip of January or early February.
The Historic District differs from metropolis designated overlays just like the Mill Village overlay or Historic Downtown Overlay, in that town has the ability to manipulate the design and historic make-up of the buildings.
“They play off one another, however they don’t seem to be the identical,” Bridgforth mentioned. “(The enlargement) just isn’t going to trigger any extra restrictions as a result of the restrictions come from town.”