The Kingston City Land Bank (KCLB) received the 2023 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Preservation League of NYS, and was recognized at a public reception in NYC earlier this month.

The Excellence in Historic Preservation Award was created in 1984, and recipients are recognized for a variety of contributions to the preservation of historic buildings, neighborhoods, and landscapes. The KCLB was selected for their work in restoring and transforming vacant, tax-foreclosed properties into affordable first-time homeownership opportunities.

The award is given to organizations that have demonstrated exemplary restoration projects, published important works, or taken individual or organizational action to protect historic resources.

In 2018, the KCLB was formed to return long-vacant tax-foreclosed properties to the tax rolls. The KCLB mission is to create equitable communities where vacant and distressed properties are transformed into community assets that improve the quality of life for Kingston residents. Through their focus on preserving and restoring rather than modernizing and flipping, the KCLB hopes to create more affordable housing opportunities and enhance neighborhoods.

“Receiving the Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Preservation League of New York State is an enormous honor and validates many years of hard work for us at the Kingston City Land Bank,” said KCLB Board Chair Daniel Kanter. “When we set out to rehab single family homes to offer at affordable prices to first-time homeowners, we knew we wanted to approach it a little differently than we typically saw affordable rehabs performed elsewhere. Through a careful balance of budget and thoughtful design, we've repeatedly stewarded the worst homes on the block into becoming jewels of their neighborhoods. These homes have not only provided a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our buyers but have demonstrated that—with enough dedication—even the most ordinary, run-down house can (and should) be brought back to life, returned to productive use, and help reclaim the historic integrity of their respective neighborhoods. We're exceedingly proud of each of these homes, and to receive recognition on a state-wide level is beyond anything we could have imagined when we embarked on this work five years ago."

For more information on the Kingston City Land Bank, please visit kingstoncitylandbank.org/