The Assessment of the Socioeconomic Impact of Historical

The Assessment of the Socioeconomic Impact of Historical Designation On National Register Districts in the City of Boston Patrick Chrzanowski Jim Duggan Sheila Ginés Ben Privett

Presentation Outline l l l l Background Mission Study Area Economic Impact Social Impact Population Impact Conclusions on Socioeconomic Impact Recommendations for Future Work

Historic Preservation l l l Retain and Restore versus Neglect and Demolish The National Historic Preservation Act was passed on Oct. 15 1966 It established the National Register of Historic Places Boston Landmarks Commissions is the local preservation agency The tool of preservation is designation

National Register Districts in the City of Boston

Mission Statement l The goal of this project was to prove the assumed advantages of historic designation l l Increased Values Neighborhood Stability Improved Desirability Promotes Involvement

Study Areas l Two National Register Districts l l l Eagle Hill was chosen by the BLC Dorchester Heights was selected by the project team Four sample blocks l l Two blocks inside the district Two blocks outside the district

Eagle Hill

Dorchester Heights

Economic Impact

Economic Indicators l Investment l l l Public Investment Private Investment Values l l l Real estate transactions Assessed Property Values Assessed Land Value

Public Investment l l l Limitations in data did not allow for a quantitative analysis A qualitative analysis revealed that there is no increase in public investment There is an increase in requested public improvements by neighborhood associations

Private Investment l l Inspectional Services Department Permit applications l l Building permits Gas fittings Electric work Plumbing work

Private Investment Dorchester Heights vs. South Boston

Private Investment Eagle Hill vs. East Boston

Private Investment l l l Before 1995, investment in surrounding area was higher than districts Two years prior to designation, investment greatly increased in the districts After designation, investment in districts was higher than surrounding area

Values l l l Assessors Office Boston Atlas Warren Group (The. Warren. Group. com)

Property Values: Total Value Per Sq. Ft.

Property Values: Total Value Per Sq. Ft.

Property Value: Value Difference, District vs. Surrounding Area

Property Value: Value Difference, District vs. Surrounding Area

Property Value: Average Real Estate Value (Dollars Per Sq. Ft. )

Values l l Post-designation, districts are more valuable than their surrounding areas Districts appear to be growing faster than surrounding areas

Social Impact

Social Factors l Neighborhood Stability l l Neglect Vacancy Owner Occupancy Crime Statistics

Neglect l l l Building neglect code violations Inspectional Service Department (ISD) 1990 -2002

Building Neglect Dorchester Heights vs. South Boston

Building Neglect Eagle Hill vs. East Boston

Neglect l Decreased after designation in the districts and surrounding area

Vacancy l l l Water utility used as vacancy indicator Boston Water and Sewage 1990 -2002

Vacancy: Dorchester Heights vs. surrounding area

Vacancy Eagle Hill vs. surrounding area

Vacancy l l l There is a decrease in vacancies in both historic districts There is also a decrease in vacancies in the surrounding Eagle Hill surrounding area There is an increase in vacancies in the Dorchester Heights surrounding area

Owner Occupancy l l l Assessors Office 1997 -2003 Due to information limitations, an analysis of owner occupancy was conducted only in the South Boston area.

Owner Occupancy: Dorchester Heights vs. Surrounding Area

Owner Occupancy l l l Designation has no conclusive effect on owner occupancy Dorchester Heights owner occupancy remained at 63 -66% Surrounding Areas owner occupancy remained at 43 -47%

Crime Statistics l Crime Stats l l l l Rape & attempted Robbery & attempted Aggravated assault Burglary & attempted Larceny & attempted Vehicle theft & attempted Vandalism Boston Police Department l Office of Media Relations

Total Crimes Eagle Hill vs. Surrounding Area

Total Crimes: Dorchester Heights vs. Surrounding Area

Crime Statistics l l l Crime in the surrounding area higher than that of the districts Crime decreased after designation in Eagle Hill and surrounding area Crime decreased and began to increased again in Dorchester Heights and surrounding area

Population Impact

Population Impact l l l Race Education Attainment Median Income

Population Impact Data l l l Demographic data was downloaded from the Census Bureau’s website 1990 and 2000 Census All data was broken down per capita for a fair evaluation

Race Dorchester Heights

Race South Boston

Race Eagle Hill

Race East Boston

Race l l Dorchester Heights has remained heavily Caucasian South Boston has also remained heavily Caucasian The population of Eagle Hill has diversified East Boston has followed the same pattern as Eagle Hill

Education Attainment South Boston

Education Attainment East Boston

Education Attainment l l l Higher education levels are higher in Dorchester Heights High School and Associates Degrees decrease as Bachelors and Graduate Degrees increase Higher education levels in Eagle Hill follow a similar pattern to Dorchester Heights

Median Income

Median Income l l The median income per capita is higher within both historic districts The median income per capita has risen within Dorchester Heights and fallen in Eagle Hill

Conclusion l l National Register designation has a positive overall impact on historic districts Designation has a definite positive economic impact Our data points to a positive impact on neighborhood stability Designation does not have a negative impact on the districts population

Recommendations l l l Expand the project to include more study areas throughout Boston Include more socioeconomic indicators Enlarge the time span Include local landmark districts as a comparison Improve information storage and accessibility

Closing Remarks l Acknowledgements: l l Colleen Meagher – our trusted liaison The Boston Landmarks Commission Our project advisors – Angel Rivera & Fabio Carrera All of the agencies that helped us along the way

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