Daily Real Estate News  |  October 13, 2005  |   Groups Hope to Save Historic Gulf Coast Buildings Anyone who's wandered the streets of New Orleans can attest to the unique charm and character of its historic buildings. But after damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, such properties throughout New Orleans and the rest of the U.S. Gulf Coast region face the risk of demolition. To speed hurricane recovery efforts and prevent historically significant properties from being demolished, preservationist groups on Wednesday announced plans to open field offices in New Orleans and Gulfport, Miss. The two field offices—run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, and the Mississippi Heritage Trust—will serve as staging points for volunteer engineers, architects, preservationists, and other professionals. The volunteers will conduct assessment work on buildings and distribute important information to property owners on water remediation, mold, and windstorm damage. They’ll also also work with the three preservationist groups to offer on-site assistance, hold neighborhood workshops, and help property owners access tarps and other repair materials. “If historic buildings and neighborhoods are unnecessarily destroyed in the name of recovery, it will only compound the damage inflicted by the hurricanes,” says Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We’re determined to do everything possible to keep that from happening.” The New Orleans office will be distributing free buckets of clean-up supplies to local property owners and will dispatch technical assistance to restore damaged homes. Starting today, the National Trust and the Preservation Resource Center will begin a series of weekly workshops to help New Orleans-area residents restore their homes and neighborhoods. The first workshop is being held today at 4 p.m. at the New Orleans field office. Meanwhile, the Gulfport office will provide immediate attention to properties at risk of demolition. “It will be wonderful to get badly needed assistance to help us save what is left of our unique historic coastal architecture,” says David Preziosi, executive director of the Mississippi Heritage Trust. “We are in a race against time to keep the damaged properties from being demolished.” The National Trust and its partners are working with federal, state, and local governments to develop tools to facilitate reconstruction and reinvestment in the disaster areas. At the federal level, these include waivers to ease the use of existing tax credit incentives to rehab hurricane-damaged historic commercial properties. Tools under consideration at the state and local levels include revised building codes that would help structures withstand future hurricanes, and design guidelines for new construction that respects the character of historic areas. For more information on preservation efforts in hurricane-hit areas, visit the Web sites of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, and the Mississippi Heritage Trust. —By Kelly Quigley for REALTORŪ Magazine Online Editor's Note: As of Thursday morning, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSŪ has raised more than $5.4 million for hurricane relief through its REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation. To contribute to the foundation, visit the REALTORSŪ Relief Foundation Web Site at REALTOR.org.