Historic preservation is not a specialty NAC added to round out a service menu. It is where NAC’s principal Architect began his career — and it remains an active, credentialed practice that few due diligence firms in the country can match.

NAC’s founder holds Federal Historic Architect status under 36 CFR 61, the federal qualification standard administered by the National Park Service. This credential recognizes professionals who meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for historic preservation — a designation that requires demonstrated education, training, and experience in the field. It is not a certification course. It is a federally recognized professional qualification that a small number of practicing architects hold nationwide.

That credential is the foundation of NAC’s historic preservation practice. Combined with 21 years of architectural experience, award-winning historic rehabilitation project work, and active current experience on LIHTC transactions that layer Federal Historic Tax Credits, NAC brings a depth of historic preservation expertise to the due diligence process that generalist consulting firms simply cannot replicate.

Historic Tax Credit Due Diligence

Federal Historic Tax Credits are among the most powerful financing tools available for the rehabilitation of income-producing historic properties. The 20% federal credit — administered jointly by the National Park Service and the IRS — has driven billions of dollars in historic rehabilitation nationwide. When layered with Low Income Housing Tax Credits, the combined financing structure unlocks rehabilitation projects that would otherwise be infeasible.

But HTC transactions carry specific risks that standard construction cost reviews don’t address. The National Park Service reviews rehabilitation work in three parts — and a project that fails to satisfy NPS Part 2 or Part 3 requirements risks losing the credits entirely. That risk belongs to the equity investor. A lender or investor on a layered LIHTC/HTC deal needs to know that the rehabilitation scope is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation — before closing, not after.

NAC provides Historic Tax Credit due diligence for lenders and equity investors on new and existing HTC transactions. Our reviews evaluate the rehabilitation scope against the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, assess NPS Part 2 application compliance, identify scope items that may create Part 3 certification risk, and provide an independent professional opinion on whether the proposed work is consistent with the Standards as designed. That review is conducted by a Federal Historic Architect — not a general building inspector or construction consultant reviewing a checklist.

For LIHTC transactions that layer Federal Historic Tax Credits, NAC’s HTC due diligence can be conducted concurrently with the Architectural Document and Cost Review — a single architect-led engagement covering both the LIHTC and HTC risk picture for lenders and equity investors simultaneously.

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards Compliance Review

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation are the governing framework for any rehabilitation work on a historic property that involves federal tax credits, federal grants, or federal licensing. They define what constitutes appropriate rehabilitation and what does not — and a project that deviates from the Standards risks losing the tax credits that make the deal work.

NAC’s Standards compliance reviews evaluate proposed rehabilitation scopes against the ten Standards, identify work items that may be inconsistent with the Standards as designed, and flag issues that should be resolved with the State Historic Preservation Office before construction begins. Identifying Standards compliance issues at the design stage — before permits are pulled and work begins — is dramatically less expensive than addressing them mid-construction or at NPS Part 3 certification.

Section 106 Consultation

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their undertakings on historic properties before proceeding. For HUD-assisted transactions — including FHA-insured financing, CDBG-funded projects, and other HUD programs — Section 106 review is a required step in the environmental review process.

NAC provides Section 106 consultation support for HUD-assisted transactions, helping developers and lenders navigate the consultation process, understand what documentation is required, and identify potential adverse effects before they become closing obstacles. NAC’s Federal Historic Architect credential is directly relevant to this work — Section 106 consultation is most effective when led by someone who understands both the historic preservation framework and the real estate transaction it is supporting.

Historic Rehabilitation Project Experience

NAC’s principal architect has designed and overseen award-winning historic rehabilitation projects in West Michigan. The rehabilitation of the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan in Grand Rapids earned design awards from both the Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network — recognition from the two organizations most directly responsible for protecting and celebrating the region’s historic built environment.

That project-level experience informs every historic preservation engagement NAC undertakes. Understanding how historic rehabilitation actually works in the field — the practical challenges of meeting the Standards while managing cost, schedule, and contractor behavior — is knowledge that comes from doing the work, not from reading about it.

Michigan Historic Tax Credit

Michigan reinstated its State Historic Tax Credit in 2020, providing an additional credit for eligible properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the State Register of Historic Sites, or located in a local historic district. When combined with the federal 20% credit, Michigan projects can access a significant combined credit stack that substantially improves rehabilitation feasibility.

NAC monitors Michigan’s state HTC program closely and is an active participant in the Michigan historic preservation community. For Michigan developers and lenders working on HTC transactions, NAC offers both the federal and state program expertise needed to navigate a layered credit structure from due diligence through closing.

Services Available

• Historic Tax Credit Due Diligence — NPS Part 2 and Part 3 compliance review for lenders and equity investors
• Secretary of the Interior’s Standards compliance review
• LIHTC/HTC layered transaction Architectural Document and Cost Reviews
• Section 106 consultation for HUD-assisted transactions
• Historic rehabilitation scope review — design phase and pre-closing
• Michigan State Historic Tax Credit program consulting