Burned out and rotting, the historic but neglected Compton-Bateman House seemed at last to be saved.
Isabel Thornton and her nonprofit Restoration Housing proposed to buy the circa 1827 mansion in Villa Heights Park from Roanoke using state and federal historic tax credits to rehabilitate it. She plans to lease it most likely to the Boys and Girls Clubs, who will provide programs for underprivileged kids in northwest Roanoke.
And then along came Congress.
Specifically, along came the Republican tax reform bill in the House of Representatives that passed Thursday. That bill would eliminate the Federal Historic Tax Credit that’s been an active ingredient in the revitalization of downtown Roanoke over the last 15 years — spurring more than $250 million in investment. The credits, which proponents say spark economic development while preserving history, have more recently become a tool of developers in Roanoke County and Salem.
