LakewoodAlive is excited to announce that the designation of Downtown Lakewood as a National Register Historic District is moving along.

The written nomination has been prepared and submitted to the Ohio Historic Preservation Office (OHPO) in Columbus.  The National Register of Historic Places is America’s official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance.

The next step in the process is a public information meeting that will be jointly hosted by LakewoodAlive and the OHPO on May 14, from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.  Barb Powers, Department Head, Inventory & Registration, OHPO, will present a PowerPoint about the National Register, what it does and does not do, and the economic benefits of designation.  There will also be a discussion about the proposed historic district, as well as an opportunity to ask questions.

To register for the webinar, click here.

Established as a financial incentive tool, buildings in the district that are deemed historic are eligible for state and/or federal historic tax credits to facilitate financing for renovations. Should a building owner seek to avoid oversight from OHPO for renovations, they would simply not apply for the tax credits and follow the rules already in place by the City of Lakewood.

The Lakewood Downtown Historic District will extend from near Bunts Road to mid-way between Hall and Ethel Avenues along Detroit Avenue, as well as along Warren Road from Detroit to nearly Franklin Boulevard.  The district will also include a number of apartment buildings located very close to Detroit Avenue on side streets.

After this meeting, the next step will be a review of the nomination by the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board on June 19, 2020, followed by a National Park Service review.

For more information about the National Register process in Ohio and the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board, click here.

The Lakewood Downtown Historic District project is sponsored by LakewoodAlive, with support from the City of Lakewood and the Ohio Development Services Agency.