Latest News on Requests for Proposals - January 2003
Please be advised that the Request for Proposals (RFPs) to apply for this year's round of funding will be mailed from our office next week. The
RFP will also be posted on our web site. Deadline for postmark of proposals will be Friday, May 2 (allowing three months for folks to prepare applications instead of the 1 1/2 months allotted last year). Word I am getting is that we will receive quite a few applications for motel preservation. We still do not know what our funding will be for this year, but we are going on the assumption that we will be able to award up to $140,000 this year, similar to last year, which isn't very much, but we will do our best to stretch the dollars as far as we can.
I am afraid our funding will not increase unless congress hears a lot more squeaky wheels out there. I am very appreciative to those of you that
did contact your congressmen this year asking for an increase in the Program's funding. We are unfortunately in some uncertain times. We need to
convince the powers that be that the cost-share program which is part of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program can be looked at as a great economic stimulus package. Witness the recent rehabilitation of the Rock Cafe in Stroud that the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program provided cost-share funds for: I understand that Dawn has been able to expand her hours and hire more help because of the work that just took place. We can also point out the interest and economic stimulus created by the neon restoration program in New Mexico (Johnnie turned five neon sign projects into ten!) and the very successful restoration of the Frontier Motel sign in Truxton, AZ. Illinois alone has four projects on-going funded by the Program that will make a big difference in spiking the interest of visitors and locals alike along the Mother Road. So it's working, thanks to your hard work in getting the word out and supporting the Program. Please give me a call or email to discuss this further if you would like.
Historic Building Surveys/ National Register Nominations
Our office has received the majority of the deliverables from the historic building surveys and national register nominations that the Program
funded in 2001. The states where these projects took place are Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. These surveys will serve as a good base line for what historic properties still exist out on the road, priorities can be established for preservation initiatives, identified properties that meet the criteria can now continue to be nominated to the National Register as funds permit which will provide property owners with the potential to take advantage of tax incentives for rehabilitation, etc. We were able to fund some National Register nominations this past year, and to give you just a sampling: the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, MO., the Route 66 Drive-In in Carthage, MO., La Bajada in New Mexico, a group nomination for neon signs in New Mexico. I also got word that the Arizona SHPO funded the nomination of the Wig-Wam Motel in Holbrook to the National Register.
Federal Advisory Council
The office in Washington D. C. that deals with establishing and monitoring Federal Advisory Councils for the National Park Service basically closed
its doors for at least six months: lack of funding, detail of the person in charge to another job on a temporary basis. We were able to have a
person from Denver with the NPS work on forging the paperwork through to the next level in Washington when she was there a couple of weeks ago. So it is not at a total standstill, I hope we can have the Council officially established by the Secretary of the Interior soon. I will keep you
posted. If you will remember, creation of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Federal Advisory Council made up of select representatives from DOTs, FHWA, other federal agencies, Route 66 Associations, and other affected groups is needed to provide official advice on the direction of the Program on a regular basis.
Please contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. And thank you very much for all of your dedication in preserving the great
properties that make up Route 66.
Michael Romero Taylor
Route 66 Corridor Preservation
Program Manager
National Trails System Office - IMR
National Park Service
P.O. Box 728
Santa Fe, NM 87504-0728
telephone: 505 988-6742
fax: 505-986-5214
Please visit our web site: www.cr.nps.gov/rt66
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