Mercedes calls on residents to help identify historic buildings to preserve
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Mercedes city officials are racing to preserve historic buildings and places across the city, and they're asking residents to help identify locations that deserve protection.
The city's historic preservation commission will hold a public meeting Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Mercedes Public Library. Officials want community members to share what they know about the history of buildings in Mercedes.
"The house could seem like a simple home and we don't know that somebody who was important to the community was raised there," Mercedes Historic Preservation Officer Marisol Vidales said. "It doesn't have to be somebody famous."
One standout example is the nearly 100-year-old former Mercedes City Hall, a neo-gothic building that once housed city administration, police and fire departments. The building's windows, brick and rooster weather vane at the top tell the story of how structures were built in the 1920s.
The fire department now stores some equipment in the old building.
"It kind of stands out," Historic Preservation Commission member Gabriel Ozuna said. "It has a lot of value to locals and to the city of Mercedes. We're going to build things that are here to last.”
Ozuna believes there are hidden historic gems across Mercedes that could be preserved. The commission plans to use a historic resources survey, a tool preservationists use to identify and pursue preservation goals for buildings.
Vidales said community input could help the city secure state and federal grants to restore historic buildings. Property and business owners could also become eligible for tax incentives and credits.
The meeting aims to stimulate the local economy while preserving the city's history.
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