It takes funding, perseverance, and creativity to make projects happen.
We collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to repurpose Lansing's long-vacant Ottawa Street Power Station into a dynamic, state-of-the-art national headquarters for the Accident Fund Mutual Insurance Company of America.
As the Historic Preservation Architect and Tax Credit Advisor, we supported the planning and influenced the design of the 10-story, 227,000 sf existing building; helping to preserve and incorporate historically important components of the building into the project. We restored and preserved the building’s unique tapered shell brickwork that is colored like a giant flame, the historic windows, and the elaborate art deco brass and metal doors and other art deco interior features. The preservation efforts were designed to meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, qualifying the project for over $16 million in federal and state historic preservation tax credits.
The project has enhanced the public urban fabric of Lansing, Michigan’s capital city, opening views to the downtown core and promoting further development of the adjacent Riverwalk.
UPDATE: Learn more about historic tax credits by downloading our guide, “Navigating Historic Tax Credits: A Guide to Funding Transformational Capital Projects Through the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program.” The guide includes in-depth discussions of the HTC application process and program prerequisites such as designing to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.
