The process of updating Ravenna’s design review guidelines has kicked off, and officials hope it will lead to a revival of Ravenna’s historic downtown district.

Consultants from Perspectus, the firm hired last year to guide the city through the process of updating its design review guidelines, made a presentation about the project to City Council recently. The goal is to finish the update by late summer or early fall.

Historic district

The Design Review Commission reviews proposed changes to the exterior of buildings that front on Main Street in the city’s historic district. The commission, which includes design and building professionals, reviews plans and suggests changes to keep with the historic character of the building.

The commission, for example, approved the paint colors of the Phoenix building when it was renovated in 2014.

Last year, Mayor Frank Seman told Council that the guidelines needed to be updated because new building owners are finding it difficult to meet the city’s guidelines while still making a profit.

“We have to balance historic preservation and economic development,” he said at the time. “We’re in a bit of a jam.”

Process of updating the guidelines

Lauren Burge, principal with Perspectus, and Polly Bloom, a preservation specialist, gave Council an overview of what the guideline updating process will look like. A similar presentation was recently given to the Design Review Commission.

In the weeks ahead, Bloom and Burge said, virtual public meetings will take place, and residents will be asked to rank the goals of the design guidelines, indicate which design challenges are the most pressing, and state how they spend their time and money.

Burge said in addition to virtual meetings with local residents, the Ohio Historic Preservation Office must review the guidelines and give them final approval. City Council and the Design Review Commission also will review the final document before it’s sent to the state.

The finished product, she said, will spell out the boundaries of the district, including information on the city’s history and architectural styles, a summary of the national standards, guidelines for changes to historic structures and new construction in the district, as well as tips on maintenance and outside resources.

History drives development

Burge said the guidelines are meant to show property owners what’s possible when it comes to improving their properties in the historic district.

“Ordinances are written in legal language with no pictures,” she said. “Guidelines are meant to help people look at things in a new light. They’re meant to get people excited about their property.”

Burge said historic preservation is important because communities that value it have higher property values and tend to maintain those values even during economic downturns.

Historic preservation also tends to increase business traffic, she said.

“People do love history,” she said. “It is the No. 1 tourist attraction after the beach.”

She pointed out that Tripadvisor’s list of things to do in Ohio puts historic attractions at the top, including caverns in Cincinnati and historic site walking tours in Cleveland and Cincinnati.

Ravenna architecture

The consultants also reviewed various types of architecture seen in Ravenna buildings.

They included the Italianate style of the Etna House, the Romanesque Revival style of Riddle Block 1, the Eastlake style of the building that houses West Main Winery, the Neoclassical style of Riddle Block 9, the Georgian Revival style of Reed Memorial Library and the Gothic Revival style of the Phoenix Building.

“This whole block is amazing. … There are not many of this scale of this style left in Ohio,” Burge said. “Having something like this in your downtown is phenomenal.”

Economic development

Councilwoman Cheryl Wood asked what the guidelines would do to promote economic development.

“We have a lot of empty storefronts,” she said. “How do we work with businesses and not against them?”

Burge said the guidelines would go hand in hand with other programs that would help property owners get funding to improve their properties.

“We can look at other communities and see which ones are successful and what they’re doing,” she said.

Main Street revitalization roadmap

Main Street Ravenna also will hold a public meeting Wednesday to discuss its Revitalization Roadmap survey.

The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at Main Street Ravenna’s office, 267 W. Main St.

All are invited to discuss revitalization of the city’s downtown and the upcoming planning process for the Revitalization Roadmap. Those interested in taking the Revitalization Roadmap survey can find a link on Main Street Ravenna’s Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ravenna hopes design guideline update will drive historic preservation