Photo: In 2019, Road ID and Hub+Weber Architects received a Preservation Excellence award in the Exterior Restoration/Commercial category for the former H. Johnson Building at 27-41 W. Eighth St.

COVINGTON, Ky. – The name has changed but the standard for excellence remains the same.

After a three-year hiatus, the City of Covington’s Historic Preservation Office is accepting nominations for the Covington Preservation Excellence Awards, previously called the River Cities Excellence in Preservation Awards.

“Being over 200 years old, Covington is well-known not only for its incredible historic buildings but also for the creative ways we find new uses for those spaces while preserving the architectural features that make them so attractive,” said Covington Historic Preservation Officer Kaitlin Bryan. “These awards celebrate the people and projects who best exemplify those efforts.”

The deadline for nominations is 4:30 p.m., Monday, April 3. The awards recognize individuals or organizations for preservation projects that were completed between January and December 2022. Winners are chosen by the City’s Economic Development staff. Nomination forms can be accessed at the Covington Preservation Excellence Award Program webpage.

Awards will be given in five categories:

• Exterior Restoration-Residential: Acknowledges historic residential projects that have restored the exterior of the building in which the architect, contractor, or owner expressed exceptional care in respecting the historic fabric and/or setting of the property. These projects tend to have sufficient and intact historic materials and detailing that warrant a restoration.

• Adaptive Re-use Residential: This category acknowledges the successful adaptive reuse of a residential property in the design of new and different use(s) for an existing building in which the historic materials and fabric of the property were retained and used as a prime element in the design of the project.

• Exterior Restoration Mixed-Use/Commercial: This category acknowledges historic mixed-use or commercial structures that have restored the exterior of the building in which the architect, contractor, or owner expressed exceptional care in respecting the historic fabric and/or setting of the property. These projects as well tend to have sufficient and intact historic materials and detailing that warrant a restoration.

• Adaptive Re-use Mixed-Use Commercial: Recognizes the successful adaptive reuse of a mixed-use or commercial property in the design of new and different use(s) for an existing building in which the historic materials and fabric of a property were retained and used as a prime element in the design of the project.

• Interior Design: This award recognizes a project, either residential, mixed-use, or commercial, that demonstrates outstanding achievement in historic preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation of the interior of a building.

“Award-winning projects will embody the goals of preserving, protecting, and celebrating Covington’s built heritage and unique sense of place,” Bryan said.

Historically given in May in honor of National Historic Preservation Month, this year’s award ceremony will take place in conjunction with the Covington Authenti-CITY awards during National Economic Development Week, May 8-12.

Specifics to the ceremony’s location, date, and time are to be determined.

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