- Two different business owners learn whether the price they had to pay to preserve a piece of their city's history was worth it.
- Preservation guidelines aim to preserve a building's architectural features as well as its impact on the city.
- Hear the story of two men who decided to update a historic building into a local business.
Broadcast transcript:
Thanks to local business owners, some of the city's oldest buildings are now being repurposed.
We spoke to two different business owners to find out if the price they had to pay to preserve a piece of the city's history was worth it.
“Buying an old building is a grand dream come true, but it takes a lot longer than I expected,” said John Noel, owner of the Old Post Office.
The Old Post Office was built in 1914.
“When you have an old structure and you want to do it the right way. It takes time,” Noel said.
He's talking about a construction project that will take nearly two years.
Given the building's history, guidelines from the city and Historic Preservation Commission had to be followed.
These guidelines aim to preserve a building's architectural features as well as its impact on the city.
Noel said he decided to exceed that guideline because:
“We wanted to pursue federal tax credits,” Noel said.
Business owners can unlock the Federal Historic Tax Credit, which provides a 20% federal tax credit.
There are also state historic preservation tax credits available to business owners who follow the proper guidelines.
But small business owner Willie Winbush told me he's had to fight for small improvements to his business.
“There's a lot of paperwork. It's a little difficult,” said Willie Winbush, owner of Brothers & Brothers.
Winbush has owned Brothers & Brothers detail shop on North Broad Street for more than 10 years.
He said when it comes to adding a roof and drainage pipes, it gets expensive.
“It was between $7 and $8,000,” Winbush said.
Although Noel and Winbush were running two different businesses at two different times, they both shared that in the end it was worth the investment.
“It's worth the wait and the fight,” Winbush said.
“I feel vindicated in the idea that historic renovations can be effective,” Noel said.
The old post office now functions as a bar.
Brothers & Brothers is currently offering detailed car washes.
