Heritage Ohio seeks award nominations

COLUMBUS – Heritage Ohio is accepting nominations for its 2011 Top Preservation Opportunities. Now in its fifth year, the Top Preservation Opportunities program is designed to bring attention to, and promote, underutilized buildings as prime prospects for redevelopment. Nomination forms and instructions for completing the forms can be found by visiting the Heritage Ohio website at www.heritageohio.org. Nominations for Top Opportunities are due by March 14. Winners will be honored at the Heritage Ohio Annual Awards Luncheon on April 28, during Heritage Ohio’s Annual Preservation & Revitalization Conference.

Since 2007, Heritage Ohio has been recognizing underutilized buildings from around the state. Heritage Ohio believes that buildings currently deemed unusable should be rethought as having potential for modern purposes, while maintaining the buildings’ historic character. The Top Opportunities list is a way to showcase that potential.  Anyone can nominate a building they feel deserves recognition. The selection committee will take into account the building’s historic significance, potential impact for the community, and the readiness and availability of community support. 2010 Top Opportunities included the former Mithoff Hotel in Lancaster, and the Canby Building in Bellefontaine.

Heritage Ohio helps people to: save the places that matter, build community, and live better. Heritage Ohio is the leading statewide, not-for-profit preservation organization, dedicated to encouraging and assisting people and organizations to protect and preserve Ohio’s heritage and cultural resources. Formed in 2000, Heritage Ohio strives to assist residents, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and local governments to benefit from downtown revitalization and historic preservation. In 2002, Heritage Ohio was designated as the statewide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Learn more at the above website.