Historic preservation is making headlines in Florida. Here’s a roundup of news items to watch, and updates on stories we’ve been following:
The Debs Store opened in 1921 in the two-story brick building at 1478 Florida Ave., now A. Philip Randolph Boulevard. Photo: Jacksonville Daily Record.
Florida Trust for Historic Preservation
- The 2024 Florida Preservation Award nominations deadline has been extended! Submit your nomination by April 4, 2024.
- The Florida Historic Preservation Toolkit is now available online!
- Our March Lunch & Learn: 2024 Florida Preservation Awards is now available on YouTube!
Ongoing Education
- The POMS24 room block is now available at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tallahassee! Book online or call (877) 800-2652 and mention POMS24.
- By Land and Sea, the Florida Anthropological Society’s 76th Annual Meeting and Conference will take place in May 12-14, 2024.
- The Association for Gravestone Studies Conference will take place in Atlanta, GA, June 18-23, 2024.
- 2024 Preservation on Main Street will take place in Tallahassee, July 10-13, 2024.
- The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Forum 2024 will take place in West Palm Beach, FL, July 31-August 4.
- Preserving the Race for Space 2024: From the Earth to the Moon and Beyond, a symposium for historic preservation related to space exploration resources, will take place in Houston, TX, August 13-15, 2024.
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s PastForward 2024 conference will take place in New Orleans, October 28-30. The organization’s Diversity Scholar Program provides scholarships for historically underrepresented groups.
Grants
- The Division of Historical Resources’ grant cycle is opening on April 1. For webinars on how to apply, visit the Division’s Event page.
Regional Updates
- University of West Florida Trust partners with DeFuniak Landmarks to promote historic preservation in the region. The Florida Trust met with DeFuniak Landmarks founder and President F. Diane Pickett and other DeFuniak stakeholders as part of our Regional Road Trip in 2023.
- Jacksonville receives $147 million for its downtown revitalization project, the Emerald Trail.
- Jacksonville’s historic Debs Store will reopen as a grocery store this summer.
- Florida historian and author Rick Kilby urges the City of North Port to preserve the Warm Mineral Springs structural complex, which includes one of a few cycloramas in the U.S.
- The historic Harriet Himmel Theater in West Palm Beach is slated for interior renovations, with the developer pledging to preserve its historic character.
Events
- Save the date! Glory Days, an exclusive event at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, will take place on Thursday, June 13. Stay tuned for more details!
- Explore Art Deco during our Insider’s Tour: Miami Beach, September 12-14.
- If you missed Architectural Historian Dr. Tara Dudley’s talk Building the Nation: Enslaved and Free Architects, Builders, and Artisans, you can watch the recording here.
Other news
- Cities across the U.S. are updating zoning rules to address housing shortage.
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation publishes resources on cutting carbon emissions for historic preservationists.
- The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation unanimously approves a new Policy Statement on Indigenous Knowledge.
Do you have preservation news to share? Let us know! Send your story to Dafni Kirkpatrick at dkirkpatrick@floridatrust.org.
