WORKSHOPS
Upcoming Workshops
Sponsored in part by
Title
Date / Time
Webinar: Dreamtroit – a model for the creative reuse of aging facilities
AICP: CM 1; AIA: 1 LU
After housing varied tenants from the 1930s until 2020, the former Warren Motor Car Company factory complex buildings were rehabilitated into a mixed-use housing development called Dreamtroit. Using a complex financial structure that relied heavily on Historic Tax Credits (HTCs), the project repaired and restored the masonry facades, including cast stone and limestone trim; installed historically accurate windows; and restored character-defining interior materials. Dreamtroit’s adaptive reuse has spurred substantial growth and diversification. By repurposing underutilized spaces, the project has introduced a diverse array of tenants, including affordable residential apartments, artist studios and commercial establishments. This mix of uses fosters a dynamic and inclusive community, contributing to the neighborhood’s vibrancy and resilience. Dreamtroit was recognized by the MHPN in 2024 with its annual Tax Credit Award.
1) Learn about Dreamtroit, the history of the Lincoln Factory, and the community that formed around Recycle Here.
2) Learn some of the trials and tribulations of a historic redevelopment project in Detroit.
3) Understand the complex financial structure and the use of Historic Tax Credits
4) Learn about the strategies used to foster a dynamic and inclusive community.
Oren Goldenberg is an active community builder in Detroit. His work ranges from feature films to complex real estate developments, creating new rituals to free dance parties. He focuses on building sustainable platforms for artists and residents of Detroit. Goldenberg is the lead developer and co-owner of Dreamtroit, a $30mil mixed-use artist-led affordable housing project in the Northwest Goldberg neighborhood of Detroit. Goldenberg has also spent the past 15 years revitalizing the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, the last synagogue in Detroit. Since 2009, Goldenberg has operated Cass Corridor Films, a film production company by and for the residents of Detroit. Goldenberg is a 2013 Kresge Fellow in the Visual Arts, Best Filmmaker (Real Detroit, 2011), Best Michigan Filmmaker (AAFF, 2006), Michigan Historic Preservation Network Tax Credit Award recipient (2024) and sits on the board of the Downtown Synagogue and Make Art Work 501(c)3.
Brian joined Kraemer Design Group in the spring of 2006 after a series of diverse experiences spanning architecture, construction, and community service. He graduated from the University of Michigan’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning in 1998. After completing his Master of Architecture degree in 2002, Brian embarked on his most formative experience: building homes for three years as an AmeriCorps member and House Leader with Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity. At Habitat, Brian saw firsthand the ways in which buildings, even the simplest of ones, can change people and places in significant ways.
As Principal at KDG, and head of the Detroit office, Brian has quietly become one of the leading adaptive re-use architects in the region, and has extensive experience, as both architect and design consultant, on numerous award winning historic adaptive re-use projects both in Detroit and throughout the Great Lakes region.
July 17, 2025
1 PM ET
Webinar: The Grand Rapids Public Museum High School
AICP: CM 1
Ted Lott, AIA – Principal of Lott3Metz Crutcher Architecture will review the history of the old Grand Rapids Public Museum and its path to realization as The Grand Rapids Public Museum School. He will discuss how the original singular design resisted common reuse strategies and required a unique partnership and design response to fulfill the building’s promise of continued public use into the future. He will review design and construction conditions as well as the political environment that helped to form the final product. The GRPS Museum High School was recognized by the MHPN in 2020 with its annual Building Award.
1) Understand the original design of the Grand Rapids Public Museum and its unique features in context of the City and contemporaneous museum design
2) Understand the unique conditions required to save, repurpose, and restore a singular heritage building.
3) Understand the difficulties of reusing idiosyncratic buildings in meaningful and respectful ways.
4) Understand the realities of restoring public buildings for public uses.
Ted Lott is an award winning architect, urban designer, and preservationist whose work has elevated corporate environments for companies like Meijer and communities like the Uptown GR. He is intimate with the conflicting goals and concerns of modern urban interests and their relationship to our built environment. He is an active participant, building strong bonds with not only the government but also neighborhood residents throughout Michigan.
June 12, 2025
1 PM ET
Hands-on Masonry Workshop
This event is mostly hands-on with secondary element of lecture, teaching the basics of tuckpointing, mortar and plaster.
$100 Registration Fee
CONTACT: RHONDA BAKER (CITY OF GR) – RBAKER@GRCITY.US –
456-3451
October 18, 2025
8 AM – 4:30 PM ET
963 Richmond NW Grand Rapids
Richmond Park Pavilion
Practical Preservation Workshops
These workshops are designed to educate historic home owners and commercial building owners on the benefits of historic preservation. The participants will gain a profound understanding of restoration techniques and methods, at the same time, discovering invaluable ways to save money.
Workshop participants will gain the knowledge and skills they need to perform masterful restorations as well as a greater appreciation for the cost-effectiveness of historic preservation.
- Don’t pass up the opportunity to learn the valuable trades of:
- Building Assessment 101
- General Maintenance for Historic Buildings
- Masonry Maintenance and Repair
- Plaster and Stucco Repair
- Porch Repair
- Weatherization
- Window Restoration and Repair
Understanding Preservation Practices
- Historic Preservation can be confusing.
- What do designations mean?
- How do I research my historic property?
- Are there incentives to rehab and preserve?
- Understanding Historic Designations
- Researching Your Historic Building
- Preservation Incentives For Nonprofits and Communities
Realtor Education Workshop
Join the Michigan Historic Preservation Network for this workshop to equip Realtors and real estate professionals with tools to help market and sell older homes. Learn how to communicate the value of owning a historic property to your clientele!
Continuing Education: The workshop offers two elective CE credit hours.
- Topics include:
- Different Types of Historic Designation
- Historic Districts and Property Values
- Current Market Trends
- Identifying Historic Architectural Styles
- Researching Historic Information
- Marketing Historic Buildings
For more information, please call us at 517.371.8080
or e-mail us at Info@mhpn.org