Hot Springs, AR – The City of Hot Springs is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a $750,000 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service. These funds are from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, which is funded through the Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease revenue, not tax dollars. This prestigious grant helps address the current affordable housing shortage by supporting historic structure preservation efforts that result in the creation of new, affordable housing units within the city.

"We are honored to receive this significant funding from the National Park Service," said Mayor Pat McCabe. "This grant will allow us to preserve our city's historic buildings while also addressing the critical need for affordable housing."

The City will select sub-recipients through a competitive process that will consider factors such as prospective tenant income, the historic status of the building, applicant matching funds, the number of new housing units to be created, the age of the structure, and the building's current condition, including any threats of condemnation. By focusing on these key factors, the City aims to ensure that the grant funds are used to maximize the creation of affordable housing units in historic structures that are most in need of preservation.  

In Hot Springs, 499 contributing resources, within 18 National Register Historic Districts and 60 individual listings, will be eligible to apply for subgrants.

The locations of historic district areas eligible to apply for subgrants include and are not limited to: Central Avenue; Ouachita Avenue; Pleasant Street; Quapaw-Prospect; Whittington Park; Army and Navy General Hospital, 105 Reserve St.; Bellaire Court, 637 Park Ave.; Cottage Courts, 609 Park Ave.; Fordyce-Ricks House, 1501 Park Ave.; U.S. Forest Service Headquarters, 100 Reserve St.; George Klein Tourist Court, 501 Morrison St.; Lynwood Tourist Court, 857 Park Ave.; Mountainaire Hotel, 1100 Park Ave.; Parkway Courts, 815 Park Ave.; Perry Plaza Court, 1007 Park Ave.; Railroad Warehouse, 401-429 Broadway St.; and Taylor Rosamond Motel, 316 Park Ave., plus all of the individually listed historic properties within Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The goal of creating new housing within historic buildings strongly aligns with both the city’s comprehensive plan, HS2040: Forward Hot Springs, and the Hot Springs Housing Strategy, a brand-new housing strategy that documents 4,000 vacant structures in the area and a need for 5,000 additional housing units. By revising the zoning code, the City is taking several steps to make housing development easier.

With these preservation investments of our historic homes and buildings, we are not only conserving our past but also creating a more vibrant and attractive community for current and future residents and visitors alike.