Augusta Seeks to Add Downtown to Historic Places Registry

Maine's capital city is working on a proposal to have most of its downtown area added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Kennebec Journal reports the proposal seeks to add almost all of Augusta's Water Street area to the registry. A public session on the proposal is planned for Wednesday.
Matt Nazar, the city's development director, says about a dozen downtown buildings are already listed on the registry. He says the designation would open up access to federal historic preservation tax credits which could be used by building owners to help fund building renovations.

Nazar says he hopes to have work on the application ready for submission by early August. If it's successful, the designation could be made in late fall or early winter. (AP)