OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH GOVERNOR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

							               OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR                                  NEWS                      

               ROD BLAGOJEVICH ‐ GOVERNOR 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                        CONTACT:
March 25, 2005                                               David Blanchette 217/558.0516

    Governor Blagojevich announces 2005 Certified Local
                   Government Grants
         Funds help communities with historic preservation efforts
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Governor Rod Blagojevich today announced that Alton, Carbondale,
Chicago, Chicago Heights, Glenview, Hinsdale, Jacksonville, Lemont, Mt. Carroll, Oak Park,
Rock Island, Springfield and Urbana been selected to receive Certified Local Government grants
from federal funds made available through the state for local historic preservation projects.

“Historic preservation begins at the grassroots level, in local communities which have made their
heritage a top priority,” said Governor Blagojevich. “These grant funds will help preserve that
heritage as well as improve the quality of life for current and future generations.”

Communities that have achieved Certified Local Government status under the National Historic
Preservation Act were encouraged to apply for $80,523 in grant funds that are available this
fiscal year through the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA). These federal funds are
specifically earmarked for local grants in the areas of public preservation and development.

The federal grant funds administered by IHPA were awarded on a matching basis, with the
federal funds paying for up to 60 percent of the project cost and local funds making up the
remainder. The projects must relate to historic preservation, and could include planning,
public education, survey of historic properties, National Register of Historic Places properties,
and development.

Only Certified Local Governments may apply for the grants. Those communities that have
achieved this status are listed at www.Illinois-History.gov/ps/clgs.pdf.

“The Certified Local Government program allows municipalities and counties to participate
as partners in state and federal preservation activities,” said Mike Ward, Certified Local
Government program administrator for IHPA. “Currently, we work with 56 such
communities in the state.”

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Local Government Grants

                        2005 Certified Local Government Grants
ALTON: $1,980: A website will be created for the Alton Historical Commission. Residents will
be able to access information about properties within the three Alton National Register districts.
Information about historic preservation programs will also be included.

CARBONDALE: $1,572: The grant will fund two workshops, one to promote oral history
programs, the second to encourage National Register and local landmark designations.

CHICAGO: $6,000: The grant will be used to update and print 30,000 copies of the Chicago
Landmarks Map and brochure, and to create new web pages for each landmark designated in
2004.

CHICAGO HEIGHTS: $13,000: Grant funds will be used in the restoration of the Flat Iron
Building, which is listed on the National Register and is a local landmark.

GLENVIEW: $9,649.80: The grant will fund an architectural survey of the residential area
adjacent to and west of the downtown area. A total of 365 structures will be inventoried, leading
to potential for National Register and local landmark designations.

HINSDALE: $8,532: The grant will pay for the architectural survey of the North Hinsdale East
area, a potential National Register and local landmark district.

JACKSONVILLE: $847.45: The grant will provide support for the Historic Preservation
Commission newsletter and website.

LEMONT: $7,260: The grant will be used to conduct an intensive architectural survey of the
Lemont Historic District. This locally designated district includes 236 buildings. It contains the
traditional central business district, as well as structures dating from the Illinois and Michigan
Canal era.

MT.CARROLL: $6,600: Grant funds will help pay for a walking tour brochure and a
companion CD that will highlight the city’s National Register Historic District.

OAK PARK: $2,400: An architectural survey of the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of
Architecture Historic District will be funded by the grant. The District is listed on the National
Register, and is also a locally designated historic area.

ROCK ISLAND: $11,076: The grant will be used to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of
Chippiannock Cemetery, listed on the National Register. Commemorative products will include
promotional materials and a booklet describing the cemetery’s importance to the region.

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Local Government Grants

SPRINGFIELD: $3,375: Funding will support the development and expansion of the Historic
Sites Commission Website.

URBANA: $1,470: The grant will be used to fund a workshop on historic stucco houses, using
the locally landmarked Buena Vista Court Historic District as a model. A workshop on stucco
repair techniques will also be included.


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