Preservation Updates from the
Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc.
- Recent City Council actions
- Renwick Building Presentation
- Candlelight Tour Tickets still on sale!
Recent City Council Actions
As always, preservation continues to be a challenging process for governmental jurisdictions, developers, and advocates. The George Street Townhomes / National Bank Project has now become a matter of multiple litigations. At the City Council meeting on November 10th, the project was halted, as described in this November 13, 2015 newspaper article. This action resulted in the filing of a suit on behalf of the developer, JON Properties, and this week, another suit by City Council involving the Architectural Review Board (read more here).
HFFI had planned to encourage members and interested citizens to attend the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 8th when the matter was to be discussed. However, the item is now NOT on the agenda. As a collective we will plan to attend a future City Council meeting when this matter is included on the agenda. If anyone wishes, they may still attend the meeting and speak during the public comment portion to vocalize their feelings on the issue.
Renwick Building Presentation
The City is continuing a process of researching and deciding the future of the 1852 Historic Renwick Court Building. There will be a community meeting about the building at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 7 inside its second-floor courtroom at 815 Princess Anne Street when the company hired to study the building will present their findings.
“Bryan Clark Green, director of historic preservation for Commonwealth Architects, will discuss the historic structure report on the Renwick courthouse. It specializes in commercial and urban development, including historic structures and adaptive reuse.
Green and his team have been evaluating the structure and poring through historical records. Their report will help the city determine how best to preserve the building and provide detailed information to people interested in helping shape its future use.” (full Free Lance-Star article)
No decision has been reached on what the building will be used for in the future, but this report will be an important part of the discussions. Please consider attending to learn more about the building and show our city officials that we care about the future of this historic property.
Tickets are still available for both the Daytime Tour and our Saturday Evening Tour and Cocktail Party. Find more details here on the HFFI website.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see some of Fredericksburg’s most unique and historic homes. Call us at 540-371-4504 or stop by the Lewis Store, Wednesday-Friday, 12-3:00 p.m. to purchase your tickets. Tickets can also be purchased online and picked up at the Lewis Store or on December 12-13 at the Tour Gift Shop, 815 Princess Anne Street.
This annual event is instrumental in supporting our programming and advocacy efforts and we deeply appreciate your support.
Happy Holidays !
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