Have you recently opened a business in downtown Shelbyville, or bought a home?
Do you have questions about your building’s age, or how it used to look? Questions about putting up a sign? Your local Historic District Commission is here to help with all of these things!
The Historic District Commission is made up of seven volunteers from the district including commercial building owners, homeowners, and business owners who love their community and are dedicated to doing their part to maintain it. They are appointed by the mayor and are responsible for overseeing the Historic District Guidelines to keep Shelbyville’s downtown as special as it has always been. They are also a great resource if you would like to find out more information about your building’s history and the background of your property. During a recent renovation, they were able to locate previously unknown photos and details about the building that the owner is excited to utilize in future projects. The city employs a full-time historic district coordinator who is available through city hall to work with property owners and who advises the historic district commissioners.
A major advantage of being located in Shelbyville’s Historic District are the two matching grant programs that are available to property and business owners. Every year, the City Council allocates money to help with exterior improvements and repair and for downtown reinvestment, helping businesses with major building needs. Applications for the year open by July 1. This has been proven to greatly increase the amount of private investment that is put into our downtown, ensuring that it will be beautiful, vibrant, and retain its historic character for many years to come. Approved matching grants are distributed once work is complete and proof that it has been paid for is submitted. A match can be for up to half of the cost of the project.
In order to undertake any exterior changes to a building within the Historic District, the building owner or occupant must submit an application to the city for a certificate of appropriateness. The historic district coordinator is available to help you get your application in good order and in line with the historic district guidelines. The commissioners review applications on the second Tuesday of every month at 5:30pm at City Hall. This creates the benefit for all who live, work, and visit here of protection from destructive planned change and the impacts that such things have on property value. It has also been proven to stimulate the economic vitality of the area.
Nearly forty years after the City of Shelbyville decided to establish its historic district, it stands as one of the most successful incorporations of historic preservation into civic planning in the State of Kentucky. While many town centers have been nearly abandoned, fallen into disrepair, and their former inhabitants scattered on the periphery, Shelbyville’s is alive with the new lives that its people are building in the places built by those who came before them.
If you are unsure as to whether your home or business is in the Historic District, check out this handy map provided by Planning and Zoning. If you have any questions at all, just call Historic District Coordinator Brian Cushing at (502) 487-8212 or drop him a note at bcushing@shelbyvillekentucky.com
- Brian Cushing, Historic District Coordinator
- Julie Mulcahy, Historic District Commissioner
