"Historic things are always put on hold when you have a tight fiscal concern. We have to take care of basics such as police services and infrastructure first. Unable to finance $250,000 to restore the landmark's interior to its original state, the City Council voted last summer to put restoration plans on hold."
"The city purchased the house for $18,000 in 1968. Efforts to refurbish it began in 1989 when it was moved from Lucille Avenue to the Civic Center. The landmark had been taken from its original location at California and Gage avenues to Lucille Avenue about 1900."
"The manor now stands at Pine and Gage avenues replete with rebuilt chimneys, a reconstructed screened-in porch and a new ramp for disabled visitors. The sky-blue exterior, including the original front door and Victorian detailing that underwent a recent two-year $150,000 renovation, belie what has become of the interior."
The James George Bell house, a historic 118-year-old Victorian farmhouse built by Bell's founder, requires $250,000 for interior restoration but lacks adequate funding. The city purchased the structure in 1968 and began refurbishment efforts in 1989 after relocating it to the Civic Center. While exterior renovations costing $150,000 were completed over two years, the interior remains deteriorated with exposed walls, cracked hardwood floors, and peeling wallpaper. The City Council postponed restoration plans due to declining property-tax revenue and competing budget priorities like police services and infrastructure. Officials estimate restoration may remain on hold for up to two years. The city cannot access Community Development Block Grant funds because the house lacks state historic preservation registration.
#historic-preservation #municipal-funding-constraints #victorian-architecture #building-restoration #local-government-budgeting
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