08 - Agreement with McDoux Preservation for Paris Historic Resource Survey Update

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Item No. 8 TO: Mayor & City Council Grayson Path, City Manager FROM: Cheri Bedford, HPO & Main Street Coordinator SUBJECT: Historic Resource Survey DATE: May 10, 2021 BACKGROUND: The Paris Historic Preservation Commission seeks to update its historic resources survey of the Pine Bluff and Fitzhugh National Register District. A "historic resources survey" is not a metes -and - bounds survey; instead, it captures information on homes or properties in a specific area that can be used to identify possible historic districts or landmarks. The data collected during the survey process is compiled into an "inventory" of properties within the survey area. The Pine Bluff - Fitzhugh survey was conducted in 1984, and accepted into the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1988. While the city has recently updated the Commercial District NRHP survey, residential districts have not updated the information since the 1980s. Many changes have taken place over time. Most citizens of Paris are not aware of the National Register of Historic Places designation in the area. This project is a continuation of an important project the City of Paris is undertaking to update the status of historic properties and make that information available to the public in an online geodatabase platform that is user friendly. After the properties are surveyed, the data will be used by the Historic Commission to begin the process to recognize and designate the area as a local Historic District. This designation will give property owners the same status and access to benefits such as tax abatements and grants. The City of Paris is currently working with McDoux Preservation LLC to create and update the geodatabase of the Paris Commercial Historic Districts using our ArcGIS technology. This new survey data will be integrated into the GIS platform. Having worked with the team at McDoux and them being familiar with the project and goals in Paris, we wish to retain their services to continue with the updates on the Pine Bluff and Fitzhugh District. STATUS McDoux Preservation LLC will update the survey of Pine Bluff and Fitzhugh by verifying the data collected in the 1985 survey and updating that information as needed, capturing new photographs of all properties in the district, and making a determination of each building's current status (Contributing or Non- Contributing) based on a period of significance ending in 1970.