Adaptive reuse and historic preservation save historic buildings. However, the approaches are different. Adaptive reuse aims to repurpose historic buildings for new uses, such as the Longfellow Commons and The Riverdale Theater Building projects, where GF Bailey has been involved. This approach is often viewed as a means of restoring a property, allowing alterations to the structure for an end use different from its original purpose.
Historic preservation, in contrast, sustains a building’s existing form, integrity, and materials, such as the work GF Bailey is performing on the Joseph Lowry home, a 1907 duplex on Central Avenue. Exterior additions and alterations don’t fall within the scope of this treatment, but minimally invasive mechanical, electrical, and plumbing upgrades and work required to meet new building codes are generally appropriate, according to standards published by the National Park Service, which administers the Federal Historic Tax Credit program.