By Josh Bergeron

The Selma Times-Journal

 

Selma property owners may be able to receive a tax credit for preserving historic buildings.

Alabama House Bill 140, passed during the 2013 legislative session provides income tax credit for rehabilitation, preservation and development of historic structures.

Selma-Dallas County Historical Society member Sylvia Smith said the bill could be especially useful in the queen city because of its large historic district.

“When you renovate an old building, there is lots of labor, which also means there are lots of costs” Smith said. “Selma has the largest contiguous historic district in the country, so there are plenty of structures that would qualify for the credit.”

The historical society will detail which types of buildings qualify and how to apply for the credit during its quarterly membership meeting Monday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in Parish Hall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Smith said the stabilization of the YMCA building on Broad Street would have qualified for the tax credit. Roof repairs and window replacements on the Tremont School also would have qualified for a tax credit, she said.

Roof repairs, plaster restoration, ventilation system repairs and architectural, engineering and land surveying fees qualify as rehabilitation expenditures, according to the bill.

Structures must also be certified by the Alabama Historical Commission as being individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Smith said property owners could submit plans for rehabilitation work as early as Oct. 1.