Main St. exec eyes course on historic building $$$

Michael Provost, the executive director of Rochester Main Street, received notice recently that he was one of 20 recipients nationwide of a professional development scholarship from the 1772 Foundation. The award, which includes a travel stipend, allows for a weeklong training seminar on Historic Real Estate Financing, to be held in Philadelphia from June 22-26.

In accepting the award, Provost acknowledges that many of our older historic properties here in the downtown Rochester Main Street District bring with them many different challenges for owners and prospective investors. Sometimes we need to seek out and adapt for alternative uses in order to help promote adaptive reuse and reinvestment in these properties, he said.

By attending the training institute, he said he hopes to gain more knowledge as to the tools available to prospective investors and property owners so that he can assist in finance planning and working with local realtors in marketing these unique properties as opportunities.

The 1772 Foundation works to ensure the safe passage of our historic buildings and farmland to future generations.