1. We'll be better off tearing it down and building something new! You don't really believe that, or you wouldn't have read all ten of these myths. All you need to do is look around your own community city to see the value of preserving the “physical parts of our heritage.” Mankind feels a cultural imperative to be well grounded in the past while looking forward to the future. Our buildings, especially in the United States, help define us and our culture. We are a new nation that has already bulldozed much of the past. We are getting smarter, and “greener.” Yes restoring = recycling. Less mess in landfills, etc. We can adapt old buildings to use new technologies include solar, wind and geothermal. The Europeans have always known that to preserve the past reminds us of the good, (and sometimes the not-so-good) parts of history. Historic buildings remind us of the best of the past and give us confidence as we build our futures. 10. That old building is ready to fall down around our shoulders 9. You can't change the layout because it has a bunch of load bearing walls. 8. It has code violations left and right. There's no way to make it work with ADA. 7. The "hysterical" society won't let you make any changes. They'll even tell you what color to paint it! 6. We'll have to do all sorts of reproduction of historical stuff. It will probably cost a small fortune! 5. The building is full of asbestos and God knows what else! 4. Doesn't the city have some kind of free money or grant program? 3. The building has to come down to make room for parking. 2. My contractor says it will cost too much! 1. We'll be better off tearing it down and building something new!

Grande Venues, Inc. • Historic Property Development & Consulting • 217 North Locust Street Suite 500 • Grand Island, NE 68801 Tele: (308) 384-6816 • EMAIL