BARSTOW COMMONS
Reactivating the heart of downtown Eau Claire with new housing
"New History greatly helped us navigate the historic tax credit process for Barstow Commons while meeting the project's vision and needs. We appreciated New History's responsiveness, engagement, understanding, and leadership skills."
LOCATION
CLIENT
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CONSTRUCTED
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PROJECT DATE
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PROJECT SCOPE
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PROJECT SIZE
Eau Claire, WI​
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Pablo Group​
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1930; 1981
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2020-2021
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Historic tax credit certification
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73,000 sq.ft.
Wisconsin Historic Tax Credits help create opportunities for urban living in downtown commercial buildings.
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CHALLENGE
The Union National Bank is the City of Eau Claire’s premiere example of Art Deco architecture. While the exterior masonry of the building still has its original carved stone details, the interior of the building has been renovated multiple times for a variety of tenant spaces. Many of the historic materials are covered or missing.
SUCCESS
By conducting field work and historical research, New History provided clear guidance to the project team on key historic materials and features to be reused and leveraged in the new residential use. New History worked with the design team at Pablo Group to find design solutions that meet preservation requirements and supported critical project needs for modern living units.