National Historic Properties Redevelopment Programs (HPRP) Summit
America at 250: Forging Connections, Saving Places, Shaping the Future
National Historic Properties Redevelopment Programs Summit
April 22 – April 24, 2026
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gather in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with colleagues from across the country engaged in historic property redevelopment work (a.k.a. revolving funds). This Summit will bring together non-profit practitioners and national experts to exchange ideas, learn about best practices, explore new models and identify sources of funding.
The National HPRP Summit is presented in partnership with the 1772 Foundation.
Register for the National HPRP Summit Today!
HPRP Summit Registration:
Early Bird Rates Available through March 20, 2026
HPRP Summit Registration: $300 / $250 Early Bird
NPPN Spring Retreat (April 20-22) AND National HPRP Summit (April 22-April 24): $550 / $500 Early Bird
Reception only: $75
Learn more about the Spring Retreat.
Conference Hotel: Kimpton Hotel Palomar
Hotel Details
The headquarters hotel for the NPPN Spring Retreat and National HPRP Summit will be the Kimpton Hotel Palomar, located in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. Historically known as the Architects Building, the 24-story Art Deco tower was completed in 1931 and was home to the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for many years.
We have reserved a block of rooms for attendees with a rate of $209 per night. Both King and Double Queen bed options are available. If you would like to find a roommate to share a room, please let us know by sending an email to Info@PresPartners.org and we will connect you with other attendees seeking to share a room.
Rooms must be reserved by midnight on March 19th to qualify for this special rate. The hotel does have a 72-hour cancellation policy if your travel plans change prior to check-in.
You can book your room online HERE or by calling 1-800-KIMPTON and referencing our block code, QZB.
National HPRP Summit Schedule
Wednesday, April 22
Optional Afternoon Activities
Tour of City Hall (Time TBD)
Tour Philadelphia’s iconic City Hall, a Second Empire architectural gem that was the world’s tallest occupied structure when it was completed in 1901.
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Walking Tour of Rittenhouse Square West
Contrast the many generations of high-rise apartment building architecture on the Square – representing every decade of the 20th century – with the smaller scale of the grand houses on nearby streets while walking past some of Philadelphia’s most fashionable brownstones.
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Eastern State Penitentiary
Visit with the Preservation Trades Training cohort at Eastern State Penitentiary, the world’s first penitentiary and a hub of public history, adaptive reuse, and workforce development.
5:30 p.m.
Celebration Reception for NPPN Spring Retreat and HPRP Summit Attendees
One Penn Center, Future home of Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia
Enjoy light bites and refreshments on the 17th floor of this 1930 Art Deco building in the heart of Philadelphia above Suburban Station with a terrace overlooking City Hall.
Thursday, April 23
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Check-In and Breakfast
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Getting to Know You: Attendee Introductions
10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Stewardship Models for Historic Properties with Fairmount Park Conservancy
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Homeowner Repair Program: Julia W. Kiessling Historic Home Repair Program
Jennifer Robinson, Director of Preservation Services
Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia
The Julia Kiessling Historic Home Repair Program is a new initiative of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia launched late 2025 after two years of program development. Hear about how the Preservation Alliance developed their forgivable loan program focused on historic property repairs from the ground up, including establishing qualifications, pilot neighborhood selection, marketing the program, and how their first round of projects is going.
Facilitating HPRP’s Through Legislative Advocacy
Nicholas Redding, President & CEO
Historic property redevelopment programs often present organizations with many challenges to overcome. This holds true whether the program is just beginning or has existed for years. We all face decisions related to building and maintaining capacity, deciding on programmatic approach, establishing project pipelines, defining success, making a substantial impact, and—perhaps most crucially—sustaining our programs, not only for the important work they facilitate but for the people they help employ. Legislative advocacy can play a vital role in creating programmatic sustainability. It relieves dependence on philanthropic support, creates a broader, more collaborative network, resulting in diversified resources and expanded partnerships, establishes precedence, and helps to cement preservation as a legitimate and worthwhile solution at all levels. Hear from Nick Redding, President & CEO of Preservation Maryland, on how the organization has facilitated the work accomplished through its own program by building support, securing funds, and reducing red tape through legislative action.
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch & Featured Speaker
1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Preservation as Economic Development: Restoring Main Street One Building at a Time
Matt Weiderhold, Executive Director
The Main Street program was created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a holistic approach to downtown revitalization and economic development. Achieving an authentic sense of place that respects and reflects the history of the built environment is a challenge in many communities, based on lack of available resources and local knowledge. Many Main Street programs rely heavily on local preservation leaders and historians for guidance on how to restore their downtown assets. Learn how historic preservation and authentic experiences combine to become an economic development engine for nearly 2,000 communities across America.
YIGBY: Yes in God’s Back Yard – Working with Congregations to Utilize Religious Properties for Housing and Community Benefit
Briana Paxton, Revitalization Policy Analyst
You’ve probably heard of YIMBY (Yes in My Back Yard), but you may be less familiar with YIGBY – Yes in God’s Back Yard. As the affordable housing crisis deepens nationwide, communities are looking for solutions in unexpected places, including underutilized religious property. YIGBY is a growing movement that supports faith institutions in leveraging their land for housing and broader community benefit, an approach with enormous potential for impact. Yet many congregations lack expertise in real estate, zoning, and development, and are often hesitant to engage in policy or development conversations. This session will highlight YIGBY success stories, share original research, and feature a congregant whose faith community has successfully built housing.
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Preservation Revelations: The Evolution of a Movement in North Carolina
Benjamin Briggs, President & CEO
Preservation North Carolina (PNC)
Over 85 years, Preservation North Carolina (PNC) has protected nearly 950 historic properties across North Carolina. How has PNC grown, changed and evolved? What have been the highs and lows? When and how did PNC get into the transactional property business? Revolving fund? Endangered Property Program? HPRP? This session will focus on the broad timeline, challenges, and successes of one of the nation’s leading statewide preservation nonprofits.
Cleveland’s Heritage Home Program: 34 Years in Development
Kathleen Crowther, President
In this presentation, long-time President of the Cleveland Restoration Society will explain the development of the Heritage Home Program SM , a housing program that provides free homeowner technical assistance and low-interest loans. Now in its 33rd year of operation, the program started small but has been built into a large and productive county housing service. Along the way, the Society has accepted donated real estate and sued to prevent historic property deterioration.
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Tour of Village of Industry and Art with Lindsey Scannapieco
An adaptive reuse of the former University of the Arts Hamilton Hall
5:30 p.m.
Dinner on Your Own
Friday – April 24
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Breakfast
9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Featured Speaker
Learn about the The Rev. Leon H. Sullivan Community Impact Center from Rev. Michael Major of Called to Serve CDC
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Eastern State Penitentiary Workforce Development Program
Liz Trumbull, Senior Director Preservation and Operations
Session #2 TBA
11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Networking Break
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Featured Speaker
Preservation Easements: Perfection Standing in the Way of Good
Myrick Howard, President Emeritus
Preservation easements are in many ways the best tool in our arsenal, and yet many preservation groups shy away from them. Instead of asking how can we use easements to permanently protect important historic properties, we quibble about fees, IRS audits, enforcement issues, and other potential roadblocks that ultimately lead to inaction. Do we really need to get an A+ in every class? Isn’t a B+ sometimes perfectly fine? Myrick Howard, retired president of Preservation North Carolina, will provide food for thought about why every preservation organization might want to consider having a dedicated staff person for easements.
1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Group takes train and walks to Philly Office Retail in Wayne Junction together (train fare included in registration)
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Jumpstart Real Estate Program
Meet Ken Weinstein and learn about his Jumpstart real estate program and other efforts to revitalize Philadelphia.
3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Walking tour of Wayne Junction
The Wayne Junction Historic District, bordering lower Germantown and upper Nicetown, was once a bustling Philadelphia industrial center known as “Workshop of the World.” In the later decades of the 1900s, Wayne Junction experienced disinvestment and decline as manufacturing moved elsewhere, leaving many of the buildings vacant and deteriorated. Join real estate developer Ken Weinstein for a tour of the historic Wayne Junction area to get a closer look at his redevelopment projects while experiencing Philadelphia’s historical importance in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the hope and potential for Wayne Junction’s future.
5:00 p.m.
Closing Reception
137 Berkley St
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
