Newport to host 2018 River Cities Excellence in Preservation Awards ceremony on Thursday

Historic preservation in Northern Kentucky’s river cities will be celebrated this Thursday during the 2018 River Cities Excellence in Preservation Awards ceremony.

The ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Headquarters Event Center, 935 Monmouth Street in Newport. May is National Preservation Month, and the Ohio River cities of Newport, Covington, Bellevue and Ludlow will come together and celebrate the communities’ historic preservation achievements.

“This annual awards ceremony acknowledges outstanding preservation projects and the efforts of citizens working to rehabilitate and restore our historic buildings,” said Scott Clark, Historic Preservation Officer for the city of Newport. “All of the river cities have these wonderful historic assets, and historic preservation allows us to hold on to the best qualities of these buildings.”

Clark said through historic preservation ordinances in the cities coupled with historic tax credits “we encourage people to invest in their properties and invest in their neighborhoods.”

“Historic preservation is also an economic driver,” he said. “The properties not only are eligible for historic rehabilitation tax credits, but historic preservation keeps our neighborhoods safe, keeps our neighborhoods viable and keeps people interested in our neighborhoods and our downtowns.”

Following are each cities award winners:

NEWPORT
Rehabilitation Residential: 7:30 Maple Ave., Duane Cronin, Diversified Capital Management
Preservation Legacy: Southgate Street School, Robert Inggulus, Newport Grand Lodge 120
Historic Rehabilitation: 501 East 6th St., Mark Ramler, Mansion Hill Properties
Historic Commercial Restoration: Headquarters Event Center, Mike Smith, Eighty Twenty Design Group
Preservation Hero: Catherine McElwain, Buena Vista Historic District
Preservation Craftsman: Mike Kolb

BELLEVUE
Preservation Hero: Vic Camm
Preservation Hero: Paul Hone

COVINGTON
Adaptive Reuse: SIDIS, Warehouse at SIDIS
Project Excellence: Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission, Lincoln Grant Scholar House, 100-102 W. 6th St.
Stewardship: Orleans Development
Rehabilitation: The Center for Great Neighborhoods, 301 W. Robbins St.

LUDLOW
Jeff and Cary Warman: 49 Kenner Street
Mary Ann Benson: 233 Lake St.
Jim and Betty Knipfer: 235 Lake St.
Matt and Mary Williams: Folk School Coffee Parlor, 332 Elm St.