Phoenix residents volunteer to prioritize historic preservation bond projects

From mid-September to mid-October 2005, a 42-member Historic Preservation Bond Subcommittee worked closely to prioritize proposed historic preservation projects for the 2006 City of Phoenix Bond Program. The Subcommittee considered 15 requests totaling $36.288 million, and was given a $12.6 million funding budget. The Subcommittee selected eight primary projects totaling $12.6 million, with four secondary projects totaling $2.114 million. (The Bond Program’s Executive Committee later added one project, bringing the final total amount to $13.1 million. Other bond subcommittees, like Arts and Culture, Parks and Recreation, and Neighborhood Revitalization and Housing, also funded historic preservation related projects totalling $15.4 million.)

The Historic Preservation Bond Subcommittee was chaired by attorney Mark Briggs, a partner at Quarles & Brady Streich Lang. Michael Nowakowski served as Vice Chair. The Subcommittee conducted five regular meetings as well as five optional tours/site visits that allowed members to see firsthand 14 of the 15 projects requesting Historic Preservation funding in the Program. The tours and site visits covered 13 of the 15 proposed Historic Preservation projects. The Subcommittee considered recommendations and input from the public and received information and technical support from various City of Phoenix personnel.

In its review of the proposed 15 projects, the Subcommittee considered many factors, including:

• minimum dollar amount required to complete a project;
• whether proposed funding for a project will result in a finished product, such as a publicly accessible facility;
• extent to which a project will address critical physical needs of a structure or abate a demolition threat to a structure;
• whether a project gave the City flexibility to address future unknown specific historic preservation needs as they arise during the course of the Program;
• availability of other funding sources for a project, including funding from other areas of the Program;
• historic significance of structures impacted by a project;
• a project’s impact in terms of promoting cultural and ethnic diversity in the Program;
• a project’s ability to assist low-income historic property owners or users;
• geographic distribution of projects throughout the city;
• role of a project as a component of a larger project; and
• minimum amount of funding required for a project to be viable.

The following Phoenix residents served on the Subcommittee: Marlys Anvil, Gene Blue, Mark Briggs, Ray Bused, Thomas Chapman, William Collins, Monique de los Rios-Urban, Therese Donavan, Stephen Dreiseszun, Andrew Federal, Katherine Atwell Herbert, Marlene Imirzian, David Indigoes, John Jacquemart, William Jaeger III, Lindsay Jones, Kimberley Kennedy, Daniel Klocke, Sarah Kriehn, Annie Lopez, Jim McPherson, Rose Marie Meager, Robert Mile, Beatrice Moore, James Mullany, Michael Murphy, Michael Nowakowski, Matt Ortega, Brady Roberts, Whitney Roberts, John Saccoman, Dr. Trino Sandoval, Carolyn Sigler, Jennifer Simmon, CJ Smith, Lisle Soukup, Todd Stansbury, Sheila Stokes, Jim Trocki, Dan Trozzi, Eddie Villa, and John Weldon Jr.

Providing key staff assistance were: Rick Naimark, Deputy City Manager; Judith Anderson, Erika Finbraaten, Barbara Stocklin, Kevin Weight, and Liz Wilson, Historic Preservation Office; Bill Greene, City Auditor Department; Sharon Wood, City Council Office; Mary Ann Fotinos, City Manager's Office; Jason Harris, Downtown Development Office; David Mays, Budget & Research Department; Dee Wheeler-Cronin, HOPE VI Office; Bill Scheel, Mayor's Office; Mark Lamm, Parks & Recreation Department; and Juanita Carver, Management Intern.