Plainfield Building Owners Invited to Downtown Historic District Meeting

Nearly two years ago — with support of more than half of downtown building owners — the village board approved the creation of a Downtown Historic District.

Now the district is in the running to become part of the National Register of Historic Places. The historic district includes more than 55 properties and runs along Lockport Street from Route 59 to James Street.

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Downtown property owners are invited to a meeting to learn more what the National Register designation would mean at a meeting set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at Village Hall, 24401 W. Lockport St.

According to Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) Chairman Michael Bortel, if the district’s application is approved, Plainfield will be one of 15 communities in Chicagoland to have a downtown historic district on the National Register.

He said the purpose of the May 8 meeting is to give building owners information on the National Register and what it can do for them.  A National Register designation would make building owners eligible for 20 percent historic rehabilitation tax credits on improvements they make to their properties, Bortel said.

The HPC hosted a similar meeting for building owners on April 24, “but no one came,” according to Bortel. This time, he is working to spread the word.

“More information is better than none,” Bortel said, adding he was in the process of emailing property owners about the May 8 meeting.

The village applied to get the downtown district on the National Register after receiving a grant from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. The grant covered 70 percent of the estimated $22,500 fee. If the village’s application is approved, Plainfield would join other communities like Galena, Long Grove and Geneva as towns whose downtown districts are part of the National Register of Historic Places.

Bortel said the village will learn whether the application has been accepted by September.

Read:

• Downtown Historic District Has Support of 57 Percent of Building Owners
• Board OKS Downtown Historic District
• Downtown Could Be Part of National Register of Historic Places