UPSTAIRS DOWNTOWN, an all day event, is planned for Friday July 25th at the Lyceum Center at 227 Lawrence Street. Connecticut Main Street Center is sponsoring this workshop. They host four workshops each year, which are based on the “Main Street Four Point Approach.” This approach deals with organization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring.

The Connecticut Main Street Center provides the following description for the UPSTAIRS DOWNTOWN workshop:

There are thousands of buildings in America’s older downtowns with vacant upper floors. These spaces boast a central location, high visibility, complete community infrastructure, and are prime candidates for redevelopment. UPSTAIRS DOWNTOWN is an award winning initiative created to help owners reclaim and reuse these vacant upper floors, and turn them into income producing properties.

The UPSTAIRS DOWNTOWN program was developed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency for the Illinois Main Street Program. It is designed for building owners, contractors, architects, municipal officials, preservationists and downtown professionals.

DOWNTOWN HOUSING
Downtowns are looking up!
« Building the case for density on Main Street
« Tax credits, easements and other incentives
« Assessing design, preservation, code and rehabilitation requirements

Speakers:
Dan Carmody, Carmody Consulting. President, Eastern Market Corporation (Detroit);
former President, Fort Wayne (IN) Downtown Improvement District; former Executive
Director, Renaissance Rock Island (IL).

Mike Jackson, FAIA, Chief Architect of the Preservation Services Division, Illinois
Preservation Agency.

Using existing spaces for housing seems more socially, economically, and ecologically-responsible than erecting an entirely new high rise. There is already this type of housing downtown, though I’m not sure how much usable space is not opened up for this purpose yet.

To register for this workshop, fill out the website form. Although the website describes these events as being of interest to both professionals and volunteers, I think that the $95 registration fee is going to discourage many “volunteers.”