This workshop will help you find out
COVINGTON, Ky. – An upcoming educational workshop aims to inform homeowners and developers alike about how they can qualify for historic tax credits on old home and building rehabs.
The Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Workshop will be held 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Kenton County Public Library, at 502 Scott St. It will feature presentations on the Kentucky Heritage Council’s (KHC) Site Development Program that oversees the state and federal tax incentive programs to encourage the protection and rehabilitation of historic properties listed in (or in some cases, eligible for) the National Register of Historic Places.
“If you own a historic building or home, you may be eligible for rehabilitation credits,” said Covington Historic Preservation Specialist Kaitlin Bryan. “If your building or home is located within a National Register District, you could get money back on qualifying rehab expenses. Fortunately, Covington has 17 National Register districts from the river all the way to Latonia, so chances are your property may be eligible.”
Covington partnered with the Enzweiler Building Institute in 2022 to establish the Covington Academy of Heritage Trades, designed to create a workforce trained in the specific skills necessary to restore or rehabilitate its many historic buildings and homes.
The Academy’s 13-week courses include both classroom work at the Enzweiler Building Institute’s space in Latonia and hands-on training where students put into practice what they learn. That takes place at a “living lab,” the old Colonial Inn at 1515 Madison Ave., which dates back to 1862. Altogether, students learn to preserve a building’s original features and historic significance while modernizing its functionality.
In recent months, the Academy received grants to aid in the replacement of the building’s roof. In August, CAHT received a $9,250 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and in June a $15,000 grant from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation. Remaining funds for the project come from a federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation.
Bryan said sections of the building’s fascia were removed by the roofing company to take a mold of the rosettes and other details of the refabrication of the panels. Construction on the new roof started Monday, Oct. 28. Once complete, the building will serve as the educational hub, allowing students to gain practical, hands-on learning experience in the heritage trades.
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