FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – "Dollars and Sense of Building Rehabilitation," an innovative educational program, will be presented Wednesday, April 8, at the UARK Bowl on Dickson Street. The event, hosted by the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas will feature national experts in the areas of economics of historic buildings and downtown redevelopment.

The program will include presentations on the economic potential of historic building rehabilitation and downtown revitalization, discussions about important tools and resources available to help redevelop historic properties, and an update on recent changes to real estate legislation in Arkansas. Real Estate Licensees and American Institute of Architects members may earn continuing education credits.

Featured speakers include Donovan Rypkema, principal with PlaceEconomics, and Kim Trent, executive director of Knox Heritage in Knoxville, Tennessee. The morning session will focus on creating an environment to foster redevelopment, adapting for reuse, building and fire codes for existing buildings, tools and resources for historic buildings and tax incentives for development of rehabilitation projects. In the afternoon session, Bill Ladd, with Arkansas Real Estate Training Academy, will teach a three-hour Arkansas Real Estate Commission topic course on the 2015 Legislative Update, required for all Arkansas Real Estate Licensees in 2015.

"Historic buildings are a key part of what makes Northwest Arkansas distinctive, and they have huge potential to be economic engines for both the tourist economy as well as a consistent and long-term local economy," said Vanessa McKuin, executive director of the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas. "We want to make sure that all Arkansans are aware of tools for rehabilitation like state and federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits."

Through community and statewide participation in the April program, the Historic Preservation Alliance hopes to make sure that business and property owners, developers, real estate professionals, economic development organizations, municipal and county officials, community leaders, and others interested in the vibrancy of historic downtown areas in Northwest Arkansas and around the state have the information and tools they need to create and support this economic growth.

Registration opens at 8:15 a.m. April 8. Registration fees for the program are $45 for the morning session, which includes coffee and pastries. The afternoon session is $30, with a box lunch available for full-day registrants for an additional $15. Members of the Historic Preservation Alliance receive a $5 discount. Registration and a complete program schedule are available at the Alliance's website, preservearkansas.org.

Sponsorships are available. For more information, visit preservearkansas.org or contact Hannah Vogler at 501-372-4757 or hvogler@preservearkansas.org.

About the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas: The Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas works to build stronger communities by reconnecting Arkansans to our heritage and empowering people to save and rehabilitate historic places.