When Historic Tax Incentives Are Misused

Columnist Steve Duin of The Oregonian follows the case of seemingly misused historic tax breaks in Portland.

1 minute read

January 20, 2003, 2:00 PM PST

"But when a distressed state and city virtually eliminate the property tax on spanking new $425,000 condos, something seems out of whack, especially when tax abatement arrives in the name of "historic preservation" . . . and only the hollow shell of history remains. ... Lofts are being constructed at a frenzied rate in the Pearl these days. Would the pace slow if developers could not take advantage of the historic preservation abatement, or the 10-year central-city tax break in which one pays taxes on the land, not the improvements?"

Thanks to Transport Policy Listserv

Read the full story: Should we preserve historic tax breaks?

Sunday, January 19, 2003 in The Oregonian

History / Preservation Oregon

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