Menu

Five to Revive

The heart of preservation is community revitalization. Begun in 2013, The Landmark Society annually publishes Five to Revive, a list that calls attention to five properties in Western New York that are in need of investment. Whether buildings, landscapes, or structures, they are significant historic aspects of our shared built environment whose redevelopment can become catalytic projects for the neighborhoods and communities that surround them.

The irreplaceable historic resources listed in Five to Revive become priority projects for Landmark Society staff and programs. The Landmark Society works collaboratively with owners, municipal officials, and developers to facilitate investment and foster rehabilitation so that these structures can again play an active role in their communities. Five to Revive selection criteria include: architectural/design integrity, historical significance, degree of endangerment, potential catalytic impact, and likelihood that inclusion on list will help facilitate a positive outcome

Listing on our inaugural Five to Revive list in 2013 attracted the investment necessary to beautifully redevelop the long vacant former Eastman Dental Dispensary on E. Main Street in Rochester into senior housing.

Launched as part of The Landmark Society’s 75th Anniversary, the Five to Revive program enhances the organization’s ongoing efforts to support revitalization in western New York. Historic preservation isn’t just about the past: preservation creates local jobs, stimulates investment, increases tax revenues, and builds sustainable communities.

Five to Revive is a subcommittee of The Landmark Society.  It is chaired by Tom Castelein.  Committee members also include Bradley Huber, Katie Eggers Comeau, Erin Anheier, Cynthia Howk, and staff members Wayne Goodman, Executive Director; Larry Francer, Associate Director; Jeff Iovannone, Preservation Planner; Megan Klem, Director of Preservation Services; and Becky Timmons, Director of Preservation Outreach.