Babcock-Shattuck House in Syracuse to be Honored

Preservation League Announced Excellence in Historic Preservation Awards

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The Babcock-Shattuck House in Syracuse.

ALBANY, NY (04/14/2016)(readMedia)-- The Preservation League of New York State has selected the Babcock Shattuck House in Syracuse to receive an award for Excellence in Historic Preservation.

The League's statewide awards program honors notable achievements in retaining, promoting and reusing New York State's irreplaceable architectural heritage.

"This Queen Anne house was built in 1895 as a private residence, and sat vacant and deteriorating for some 20 years," said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League. "This rehabilitation project engaged a team of neighbors, developers, real estate agents and preservationists, and converted a blighted, vandalized building into four market-rate apartments. By creating condominium units, the project will return the property to private homeownership while allowing the use of NYS Historic Homeowner Tax Credits. The effort has restored the pride of the neighborhood."

The project team included the owner, University Neighborhood Preservation Association; Crawford & Stearns Architects & Preservation Planners, Syracuse; CNY Builder Services LLC, Lafayette, NY; McGinnis-Nelson Construction, Manlius, NY; and project partner Home HeadQuarters, Syracuse. The project received support from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, and new condo owners are eligible for a New York State Historic Homeowner Tax Credit valued at approximately $48,000.

The Babcock Shattuck house is an excellent example of how a large residential structure can be renovated while complying with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for preservation. Careful planning and attention to detail allowed for the retention of historic character and fabric, including wood windows, original siding, wood wainscoting, trim, impressive circular tower rooms, and distinctive exterior details including a stone front porch.

Don Radke, chair of the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board noted "Not enough can be said about the University Neighborhood Preservation Association (UNPA) and her partners and their roles in this project. A well-respected, neighborhood-based organization, UNPA's primary mission is to promote neighborhood homeownership. While grounded in this mission, this project took UNPA into new and challenging territory. UNPA's willingness to take a different approach with its program has not only brought the Babcock Shattuck House back to life, it has created a model for future rehabilitation projects throughout the City."

Crawford & Stearns' Project Manager Beth Crawford said it was very rewarding to work with such a dedicated team including UNPA, Home Headquarters, and the City of Syracuse. "All the partners were very committed to preserving and rehabbing the structure and returning the Babcock Shattuck House to residential use. Despite various design challenges, the once-dilapidated wreck is now an iconic structure which has made a truly positive impact on both the Westcott neighborhood and the East Genesee Street corridor."

David S. Michel, President of UNPA was honored to hear the news and said, "UNPA thanks the Preservation League of New York State for their recognition of the Babcock-Shattuck House project. This award recognizes the hard work by many individuals and organizations which made this restoration possible. We particularly want to thank the Preservation League staff for their support and advice through the entire process."

The awards will be presented at the Preservation League's Awards Ceremony in New York City at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11th at the historic New York Yacht Club, 37 West 44th Street.

The complete list of award winners is: The Renaissance Albany Hotel (Historic DeWitt Clinton Hotel) – Albany; Apple Store, Upper East Side – Manhattan; United Nations Campus Headquarters Glazed Façades Replacement – Manhattan; Babcock Shattuck House – Syracuse; Spirit of Life & Spencer Trask Memorial – Saratoga Springs; 845 Commons (Historic Mica Insulator Co. Building) – Schenectady; T. G. Hawkes Glass Co. Apartments – Corning; and Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock.

"With our annual awards program, the Preservation League explores not just the present, but the future of historic preservation. Many of the 2016 award winners provide valuable examples for others by incorporating energy efficiency techniques, adaptive reuse strategies and Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits," said DiLorenzo. "Each year, we are impressed by the number and variety of laudable nominations, and this year was no exception. We are delighted to celebrate the rebirth of the historic Babcock Shattuck House, and to commend all members of the project team for their leadership and vision."

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The Preservation League's Excellence in Historic Preservation awards program is funded by a generous grant from the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation.

The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs all across the state.