FRIDAY, FEB. 28

9:30 a.m. to Noon – Statewide Preservation Meeting

Location: Metropolitan Community College Fort Omaha Campus – 32^nd and Sorensen Parkway, Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology Building 24

Come and meet people throughout the state bringing new life to older properties. Guest speaker is Bob Yapp with Preservation Resources, Inc. From his former PBS show, About Your House, to his Belvedere School for Historic Preservation in Hannibal, Missouri, Yapp has worked tirelessly to train others in the art of historic preservation. He’ll be presenting the Historic Preservation Cost Comparison Tool© a new resource for state, county, city and Main Street preservation staff. With a few clicks, residential and commercial consumers can look at side-by-side comparisons of the true, objective costs for replacing vs repairing architecturally important and character defining features in their community.

Bring your restoration success stories, struggles and questions to share with Yapp and the group.

Noon to 3 p.m. – Lunch and Fort Omaha Tour

Enjoy lunch provided by Sauce Bosses BBQ and a tour of Metropolitan Community College’s historic Fort Omaha Campus. Built in 1880s by the U.S. Army, the buildings at Fort Omaha once served as the home of the Department of the Platte during the command of General George Crook. Today the historic buildings provide classrooms and offices for Metropolitan Community College and are paired with newer buildings that are providing students with skills in the trades and in new emerging technologies.

Thank you to the Douglas County Historical Society and Metropolitan Community College for organizing.

7 to 9 p.m. – Opening Reception and Tour 

Sorry! This Event is Sold Out

Opening in spring 2020, the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel is a much-anticipated revival of the former Blackstone Hotel at 36^th and Farnam Streets in Omaha. Here’s your chance to get inside and see the restoration work being done and meet those involved. Before and after your assigned tour, step inside the Kiewit Plaza (conveniently located across the street) to enjoy cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres and tours of the top floor Cloud Room. Indoor parking in the Kiewit Plaza. Enter from Farnam Street on the very east end of the  building.

 Thank you to The Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel, Clarity Development, Leo A Daly, Lund Company and Kiewit Corporation for making the event happen. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 29

Location: Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus – 32nd and Sorensen Parkway, Center for Emerging Technology Building 24

8 a.m. – Registration & Exhibits Open

9 a.m. – Welcome & Announcements (Room 101)

9:15-10:15 A.M. – Opening Session:  Yes, you can save that historic building! (AIA*) (Room 101)

Presenter:  Bernice Radle, Owner and CEO, Buffalove Development and Little Wheel Restoration Co 

Building and rebuilding our historic neighborhoods has to be done on the neighborhood level by the people in the neighborhood. These are often the projects that need the most time, love and magic. How do we make these projects happen so our communities thrive? With the incremental development approach!  This talk will explore the principles and ideas on how incremental development can build wealth, sustainability and stability for the community, the building and the individual.

Note: Saturday sessions marked with (AIA*) will offer architect CEUs.

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Session 1

The Window Replacement Debate: 3 things to know and 3 actionable ideas (AIA*) (Room 101)
Presenter: Kristina Damschen Spina, Vice President of Marketing, Indow 

If you shudder at the sight of vinyl windows in historic homes, read negative press about historic boards refusing replacement projects, or get frustrated with dead-end dialogues about window preservation, this session is for you. Kristina will review three essential items about the window replacement debate and three actionable ideas on how to approach the subject in a new way. This is based on nearly 10 years of field research but needs your voice too. Come ready to contribute to the discussion and think from the community’s point of view.

The History of Fort Omaha (Room 202)
Presenter: Kathy Aultz, Executive Director, Douglas County Historical Society

As caretaker of the General Crook House on the Fort Omaha Campus, Kathy will share what she has learned about the history of Fort Omaha.  You will learn that in 1868, 83 acres of landed located outside the Omaha City limits became a U.S. Army post.  Find out who General George Crook was, what he did to secure his place in United States history and which buildings of his outpost exist today.

Researching Your Property  (Room 204)
Presenters: Jennifer Honebrink, Architect and Caitlin Benton, Historic Preservationist at Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture

Using local examples, Jennifer and Caitlin will illustrate how to start your research project on your home or business, talk through where to find a variety of resources and provide tips to overcome common research hurdles.

You Can’t Live In a Museum or Can You? (Room 206)
Presenter: Bob Yapp, Preservation Resources, Inc.

Yapp will provide strategies about how to make historic homes livable for today while respecting the architecture and staying within the Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation.

Restoring Exteriors – Tips and Tricks (Room 201)
Presenters: David Lawrence and Steve Wilhelm, Lawrence Paint Co.

Learn exterior restoration methods by seeing the company’s work on the General Crook House in Omaha, the Burt County Museum in Tekamah, the May Museum in Fremont and the Griffith House in Red Oak. Learn the nine steps used in restoring wood in old houses.

Restoring Tiles in your Turn of the Century Home (Room 115A)
Presenter: Josh Blanc, Owner, Clay Squared to Infinity LLC

What are your options when restoring and replacing historic tiles? How can you be authentic without breaking the bank? The presentation will focus on use, popular sizes, available products, changing philosophies and tile applications from the 1890s to the 1930s. Josh will explain the reasons people continue to choose specific colors and finishes and address the challenges and options for current remodels of period homes.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  – Lunch, Visit Booths & Networking

12:30 to 1:45 p.m. – Keynote: Preservation Doesn’t Cost — It Pays! (Room 101)
Presenter: Bob Yapp, Preservation Resources, Inc.

Bob promises a fun and dynamic talk that will take participants through the economic benefits of historic preservation. Participants will leave entertained and empowered.

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Session 2

 The Downtown Omaha Oral History Project (AIA*) (Room 101)
Presenter: Barbara W. Sommer, M.A., Owner, BWS Associates

The Downtown Omaha Oral History Project is documenting the perceptions of development and change in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, in the mid-to-late 20th century. The major part of this effort was the collection of oral history interviews with knowledgeable individuals. In this session, she’ll discuss development of the project and information documented through it.

Signs of the Times: Preserving Omaha’s Visual History (Room 202)
Presenter: Jesse Harding, Graphic Designer

Come take a historical look back at the brands, logos, and packaging of Omaha through the lens of Jesse who has breathed new life into the original designs using modern technology. Come see what he has uncovered and why the work is important.

Buying and selling old and historic homes(Room 204)
Presenter: Tim Reeder, Broker/Co-Owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, The Good Life Group

Buying and selling real estate can be an emotional experience and working with old and historic homes can be an entirely different process. Learn why old homes are different when it comes to buying and selling them and how the neighborhoods and community are part of the attraction to these homes.  Learn the obstacles and things to look for when buying an old home and how to properly prepare your old or historic home for sale.

Historic Preservation Partnerships at Work across Nebraska (Room 206)
Presenter: Alesha Cerny, Architectural Historian, National Park Service Midwest Regional Office

Learn how cultural resource professionals in the Omaha regional office implement the National Park Service’s (NPS) role in national preservation partnership, working with Midwest historic properties owned by entities outside the NPS through the National Historic Landmarks Program, the Heritage Documentation Programs and the Historic Surplus Property Program.

Interior Restoration — Tips and Tricks (Room 201)
Presenters: David Lawrence and Steve Wilhelm, Lawrence Paint Co.

The education and motivation you need to tackle interior restoration projects. Learn the most effective and current techniques for restoring wood floors, removing paint, refinishing trim and restoring your old hardware.

How to Patch and Repair Damaged Interior Plaster (Room 115A – 2 Hour Session)
Presenter: Dick Grace, Owner, Grace Plastering, Inc.

Plaster interior walls eventually require attention, with challenges involving cracks from settling, artwork hanging and moisture. Get your hands dirty while Dick teaches  you how to bring your plaster walls back to their historic glory.

3:00 to 3:30 p.m. – Visit Booths & Network

3:45-4:45 p.m. – Session 3

Where to Begin: the First Step to Preservation (Room 101)
Presenters: Stephanie Rouse, Certified Planner and Architectural Historian, RDG Planning & Design and Kate Hewlings. Manger Geographic Information Systems and Survey programs, Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office

Communities all across Nebraska are engaging in preservation efforts through building restoration, education and outreach efforts. What is often overlooked is the first step in the preservation process, the survey. Almost every county in Nebraska has been surveyed to document existing conditions and make recommendations for future action. During this session you will learn about what the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office’s survey program is, how you can use it in your own communities, and some case studies of small town preservation wins in the last four counties currently being surveyed.

South Omaha through the Eyes of a SOB (Room 202)
Presenter: Gary Kastrick, Educator and Omaha Historian

For years, Restoration Exchange Omaha gave walking tours of South 24th Street. No one gave them better than Gary. South Omaha born and raised, Gary is today’s “Mayor of South Omaha.”  Let him one take you through the streets of South Omaha’s past and present.

Conserving Old Buildings (AIA*) (Room 204)
Presenter: Julie Reilly, Executive Director, ICA-Art Conservation and coauthor of Preventive Conservation for Historic House Museums

Julie presents a program about the chemistry and physics of building deterioration, what causes it, how we can slow it down, and how we can prevent it. She will touch on preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, reuse, salvage, recycling, upcycling and why this is all so important in saving our buildings and our cities today.

A Deeper Dive to Small Scale Incremental Development (Room 206)
Presenter: Bernice Radle, Owner and CEO, Buffalove Development and Little Wheel Restoration Co

A lot of folks want to save buildings but don’t know how. This will be an intro level deep dive into the nuts and bolts of small-scale development. Examples, ideas, and wisdom will be shared not only from Bernice’s work in Buffalo but from cities and towns she has worked in around the country.

Tiles of the Mid-Century — Love it or loathe it? (Room 206)
Presenter: Josh Blanc, Owner Clay Squared to Infinity LLC

What makes Mid-Century tiles important to the restoration of period homes?  Why Mid-Century colors continue to influence our homes today.  Josh will cover use, popular sizes, colors, available products, changing philosophies of how people live and tile applications during the Mid-Century (the 1920s to 1950s). Josh will explain the reasons people continue to choose specific colors and finishes and address the challenges and options for current remodels of period homes.

How to Patch and Repair Damaged Interior Plaster (Room 115A – Continuation of 2 Hour Session)
Presenter: Dick Grace, Owner, Grace Plastering, Inc.

Plaster interior walls eventually require attention, with challenges involving cracks from settling, artwork hanging and moisture. Get your hands dirty while Dick teaches  you how to bring your plaster walls back to their historic glory.

4:30 to 5:00 p.m. – Restoration Jam!  | Room 101

End the day with a look at projects past and present from Gifford Park neighborhood change-agents Chris Foster, Martin Janousek and Rob Janousek.