Tax Credit Program Highlight: 114-116 North Main Street

Elgin, Bastrop County

1900

Designation	Listed in the National Register as part of Elgin Commercial Historic District
Historic Use	Retail, vacant
Current Use	Retail, apartments
Total Rehabilitation Cost	$400,000
Qualified Rehabilitation Expenses	$375,000
Date Certified	January 23, 2017
	Also certified for Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits.

History

The city of Elgin owes its existence to a major flood of the Colorado River in 1869. Originally, the railroad was to have run from McDade, 10 miles east of Elgin, southwest to the Colorado River, then to Austin following the river. Moving the line farther west allowed the worst of the flooded area to be avoided, and created a new railroad stop that would become Elgin. Most visitors to Elgin are quickly greeted by this two-story storefront building, which is prominently located at the corner of North Main Street and 2nd Street in the heart of the downtown business district. The current owner of this building has undertaken a series of rehabilitation projects on historic storefront buildings in downtown Elgin, which has seen a renewal in activity in recent years, thanks in part to the financial benefits of the tax credit program.

Rehabilitation Project

The first floor of the building had been partially occupied before the current project was undertaken, with uses including a thrift shop and a small chapel. The second floor had been gutted in the 1970s to create one large dwelling unit, which was vacant. Through the full rehabilitation of the building, non-historic finishes such as dropped acoustical tile ceilings were removed and remaining historic finishes re-exposed. The first floor now houses two retail spaces, and the second floor has been subdivided into eight new apartments with modern, compatible finishes. These new apartments exemplify the recent trend of more upper-floor housing units becoming available in the downtown district, which has brought more business and vibrancy to Elgin’s Main Street.