City considers historic register

The City of Russellville recently made a big step toward its goal of restoring the downtown area to its historic roots. Phil Thomason, owner of the preservation planning team Thomason and Associates, made a trip to Russellville at the end of January to tour downtown and see about getting it listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“It’s a nice district with a variety of community and public buildings and resources,” Thomason said.

He said he plans to come back soon and host a public meeting for business owners and city officials and to conduct more research and interviews.

The area under consideration spans a few blocks and includes buildings like the courthouse, the Roxy and the post office, Thomason said. He will have to have a list of the buildings and a historic overview of the area.

“There are financial benefits once a place is listed on the national register,” he said.

One of the advantages is that it would provide commercial buildings the potential eligibility of a 20 percent tax credit if they are restored to the historic standard.

Thomason’s hope is that the registration will be completed by the end of this year, but first there has to be a draft created by the city and the Alabama Historical Commission. Then, it has to go to the state review board and the National Register’s office.

Russellville Mayor David Grissom could not be reached for comment at this time.