Governor Signs AB 375 into Law | Historic Tax Credit Repair Bill

On April 9, 2026, Governor Tony Evers signed AB 375 into law during a ceremony at the State Capitol, marking a major milestone for historic preservation and community development efforts across Wisconsin.

The bill represents the culmination of more than a year and a half of collaboration among a broad coalition of partners and advocates working to strengthen preservation tools and support investment in historic places throughout the state. Supporters attending the signing ceremony included representatives from the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation, the Wisconsin Historical Society, WEDC, WEDA, and many other organizations and stakeholders who helped advance the legislation.

The signing ceremony celebrated not only the passage of AB 375, but also the power of partnership in shaping policies that support preservation, economic development, and community revitalization across Wisconsin.

Stay tuned for more news and updates on historic tax credits in Wisconsin.

Historic Tax Credit Repair Bill Passes - Thank You for Showing Up

We are pleased to share that AB 375, the Historic Tax Credit Repair Bill, passed in the Wisconsin Senate on March 17 and is headed to the Governor’s desk for signature!

This legislation makes targeted improvements to the state historic tax credit by:

• Lowering the minimum qualifying expenditure to $50,000, making the credit more accessible for smaller projects and communities

• Allowing projects that have reached the $3.5 million credit cap to reapply after 15 years, supporting the long-term stewardship of Wisconsin’s historic buildings

Together, these changes expand access to the credit and help ensure that more preservation projects—large and small—can move forward.

Thank You for Showing Up

This achievement reflects the strength of our community. Members, partners, and advocates across the state stepped up—attending Historic Preservation Day at the Capitol, calling legislators, sending emails, reaching out to others, and sharing real stories about how the historic tax credit supports local economies, housing, and the continued use of historic places.

Every action mattered.

When the preservation community shows up—by speaking out, sharing stories, and taking action—we are heard. And together, we made this happen.

Bill Recap - What We Accomplished Together

Assembly Bill 375 restores access for smaller projects and allows continued investment in larger historic properties.

Looking Ahead

While this is meaningful progress, there is more work ahead. In future legislative sessions and budget discussions, we will continue to advocate for improvements to the credit—including returning to a one-year structure to further strengthen its impact.

This success also underscores something bigger: our ability to organize, engage, and influence policy. It invites us to think strategically about what comes next.

What other legislative priorities should we advance? What tools do communities need to support preservation across Wisconsin?

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Help Advance This Work

Help us keep this work moving forward.

The Wisconsin Trust relies on member support to fund research and education that demonstrate how the Historic Tax Credit drives private investment, job creation, and community revitalization across Wisconsin.

Join the Trust or make a gift today to ensure we can provide policymakers with the information they need to make informed decisions.

Legislation Action Alert | Historic Tax Credit Repair Bill

Advocacy Action Alert

Please urge your State Lawmakers to SUPPORT the Historic Preservation Tax Credit “Repair” Bill 

Wisconsin’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit (HTC), initially created in 1989 to enhance the federal HTC credit, not only helps preserve Wisconsin’s architectural heritage, but it also plays a key role in driving economic development across the state. Under current state law, eligible historic preservation projects can receive a state income tax credit of 20 percent of the qualified rehabilitated expenditures up to $3.5 million.

However, several changes over the years to both the state and federal tax credit programs have created unintended confusion and eligibility obstacles that have delayed or “killed” historic rehabilitation projects, especially smaller projects.

The Historic Preservation Tax Credit “Repair” Bill (Assembly Bill 375 and Senate Bill 382), recently introduced at the State Capitol, would modernize the state’s HTC program by making the program more accessible, flexible, and impactful.

By aligning state policy with the needs of smaller-scale projects and accelerating project financing, this legislation will help ensure Wisconsin’s historic buildings remain vital community assets while driving economic revitalization. The bill recently received public hearings before two key legislative committees, but it has yet to be acted on by the full Legislature.

To build support for this important legislation and help push it over the finish line, please email your state lawmakers TODAY and urge them to SUPPORT the Historic Preservation Tax Credit “Repair” Bill.

How You Can Help

Contact your state lawmakers and urge them to SUPPORT the Historic Preservation Tax Credit “Repair” Bill (AB 375/SB 382). Simply cut-and-paste the linked sample email - feel free to personalize - and send to BOTH your state Representative and state Senator. Find local state legislators and lawmakers here. 

Thank you for advancing the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation’s legislative advocacy efforts to enhance an already successful program – and ultimately help preserve historic assets, revitalize communities, and strengthen local economies across the state.

Bill Overview

Assembly Bill 375 / Senate Bill 382 aims to strengthen the state HTC and better serve historic structures that embody Wisconsin’s cultural heritage and community identity. These historic buildings are anchors of local character, tourism, and pride. By lowering administrative barriers and expanding eligibility, this legislation will allow more of these irreplaceable landmarks to be preserved for future generations. The bill will make the following changes to the current program:

• To qualify for the state credit under current law, a project’s qualified rehabilitation expenditure must be at least $50,000 AND meet the federal requirement that rehabilitation costs be greater than the building's adjusted basis. A building’s adjusted basis value can be quite large, pricing smaller projects out of the program. AB 375/SB 382 stipulates the federal requirement does NOT apply to projects seeking only the state tax credit, while maintaining the $50,000 threshold. This allows smaller projects, often found in distressed urban and rural areas, to qualify.

• Under current law, the state credit is claimed over five years, which aligns with the federal schedule. AB 375/SB 382 allows the entire state credit to be claimed in one year, increasing the impact of the tax credit and expediting return on investment. 

• Under current law, the state tax credit is capped at $3.5 million for all projects undertaken on the same parcel. AB 375/SB 382 retains the tax credit cap, but only within a rolling 10-year window. This will allow properties to take advantage of the state credit for future rehabilitation after a 10-year period expires.

Thank you for your continued support and advocacy.

Milwaukee's Ugliest Building: On the Path to Renewal

Join members of the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation on Thursday, September 12 to learn more about the path to renewal for Milwaukee’s “Ugliest Building.”

The free event, co-hosted in partnership with the Historic Preservation Institute and MSOE, welcomes students and local preservation advocates for to an important discussion onsite.

 

Thursday, September 12
4:30 - 5:30 PM | Food, drinks, and socializing
5:30 - 6:00 PM | Presentation and building tours

Location: 324 N 15th St. Milwaukee, WI

Free to attend. No registration required

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Read the excerpt below for more on the building and the renewal effort:

A proposal to convert a long-vacant Menomonee Valley industrial building into apartments has received initial approval from city officials, but still faces an uphill battle.

The plan’s zoning change was approved on Monday, March 25 at a Milwaukee Plan Commission meeting, but the project faces several opponents including nearby businessowners and Milwaukee’s Department of City Development.

Building owner, Ken Breunig initially planned to convert the building into an office building, but at the commission hearing, he said the building’s structural issues prevent it from being able to handle heavy loads tied to office use.

Breunig instead wants to create around 45 apartments with monthly rents of $1,500 to $2,000. Marquette University students and staff would be the primary market, he said, along with people working in the valley and downtown.

The fire-damaged, vandalized building likely has three to five years before further deterioration makes it impossible to renovate, said Breunig, an engineer who’s redeveloped other historic buildings.

Read the full article: City panel gives initial approval to redevelopment of historic Menomonee Valley building

Saving Wisconsin's Sacred Places: Architectural Landmarks | Taliesin Workshop

You’re invited to join the WTHP at Taliesin for a compelling workshop on Wisconsin’s sacred places, held October 25-26.

Saving important Wisconsin architectural landmarks is a fundamental mission of the WTHP. Together with the HPI at UWM, the trust will be offering a two-day workshop on saving churches, temples, synagogues and other sacred places. Topics will be focused on the challenges of proper documentation along with strategies for retention and reuse of these landmark places in towns throughout Wisconsin.

AGENDA
The two-day workshop will include a combination of lectures and discussion groups. As a workshop, participants will engage in hands-on demonstrations of droning, building laser scanning, photogrammetry and object scanning. The Historic Tax Credit portion will include case studies of Wisconsin places that have effectively used tax credits for religious and nonprofit organizations.

The workshop will include an extensive exhibition of drawings and virtual reality devices for an advanced understanding of these landmarks. Site tours of local buildings and places will be included.

Review the full agenda and event information on the workshop homepage.

COSTS
This is intended to be a free workshop with drinks and some food provided. Participants can join for both days or only one with overnight accommodations independently.

The purpose of this workshop, like the other WTHP workshops, is to bring together a variety of preservation-minded people who can share knowledge and success stories with others and continue to make Wisconsin one of the best states for architectural heritage stewardship.

AUDIENCE
This workshop is intended to bring together a wide range of people involved in the art and business of saving architectural landmarks in small and mid-size towns. This year’s workshop will focus on great sacred places.

Local, state, and national organizations will come together to offer the very latest information on a variety of issues. All of them will be related to the struggles that owners, developers, architects, contractors, craftsmen, city officials, and others have with these important landmarks.

Review the full agenda and event information on the workshop homepage.

Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act Now Introduced in Both the House and Senate

In April 2021, Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) introduced the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO) in the House of Representatives (H.R. 2294), which has received nearly 60 bipartisan support.

In June, similar legislation was introduced in the Senate (S.2266) by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA). and Susan Collins (R-ME). This is great news for Wisconsin property owners looking to restore their historic buildings. The Wisconsin Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program also provides additional 20% historic tax credits to owners as a Wisconsin income tax credit for rehabilitating historic income-producing buildings.

1610 N 2nd St, Milwaukee WI

Refresh: What is the HTC?

The Federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) is a 20% credit applied to qualified rehabilitation expenses for certified historic structures distributed over 5 years (4% per year). It represents, by far, the largest federal investment in historic preservation.

Since its inception, the credit has contributed to the rehabilitation of over 45,000 historic buildings and the construction of over 172,000 low- and moderate-income affordable housing units. The HTC also plays a major role in revitalizing our communities and supporting our nation’s economy. It has attracted approximately $173 million private investment, generated $38.1 billion in federal tax revenue, and created nearly 3 million jobs.

 New HTC for Temporary Provisions

The new version of HTC-GO includes temporary provisions that will bring relief to projects impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Developers and building owners nationwide are now facing increasing challenges in rehabilitating historic properties as our economy slowly recovers. The HTC-GO legislation temporarily increases the rehabilitation credit (IRC § 47) from 20% to 30% thorough 2021 and phase down to 26% in 2025, 23% in 2026, and returns to 20% in 2021 and thereafter.

In addition, the HTC-GO includes permanent provisions that will bring more value to the HTC, improve access to the credit, and enhance investment opportunities for smaller rehabilitation projects. The bill would increase the credit from 20 to 30 percent for projects with rehabilitation expenses of less than $2.5 million. 

Taking Action to Grow the HTC

These provisions were included and passed in the House Infrastructure bill (HR 2) in July 2020. We urge you to ask your members of Congress to support HTC-GO and to include the bill provisions in a larger infrastructure package. There are several ways you can reach out to your Senators:

• Fill out this advocacy alert on SavingPlaces.org by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

• Call Your Senators Directly: To locate the names, phone numbers and websites of your Senators via the Senate website or call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 and asked to be connected to your or Senator’s DC office. Once connected ask to speak to the Member’s staff or staffer that handle tax issues.

• You can also communicate on the Member’s website. For Sen. Ron Johnson, please visit https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov. For Sen. Tammy Baldwin, please visit https://www.baldwin.senate.gov. Send a message to your Senators through their website and select “tax” or “taxation” as the issue area.

Please share responses from Senate offices and acquire assistance with your advocacy by emailing: hongyan@wipreservation.org.

Learn more:

1. National Trust for Historic Preservation and Historic Tax Credit Coalition: HTC-GO Bill and Fact Sheet (April 2021)

2. Carl Wolf: On the Hill: Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO) Now Introduced in Both the House and Senate

Mid-Century Buildings Eligible for Historic Tax Credits

The following is excerpt from an article printed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 1, 2021.

A recent article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out that buildings constructed in the 1950s and 60s are eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. As these structures are over 50 years old they now meet one of the criteria for the registry. Recognition on the National Register makes a building eligible for state and federal historic preservation tax credits toward renovations.

Marshall & Ilsey Bank Building

Milwaukee, 770 N. Water Street

Mid-Century Becomes Historic

According to the article, of the “2,000 buildings listed by the [local] Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission, only a handful were built in the 20th century’s second half.” It is more common to think of buildings built before World War II as historic, but the architectural value of structures considered “mid-century”, or from the 50s and 60s, is also significant.

A number of downtown Milwaukee buildings are currently in the process of seeking historic designation, including the former Marshall & Ilsey Bank Building at 770 N. Water Street and the former St. Catherine’s Residence for Young Women at 1032 E. Knapp Street.

Milwaukee Buildings Looking for Historic Status

Other buildings, in recent years, have applied for local historic designation and been denied by the Common Council. The Marcus Center was determined to be ineligible for a number of reasons, primarily 1990s replacements of original materials, which removed architectural integrity. In December of 2020, the Forest Home Library was rejected for historic designation after a vigorous debate.

It is expected that more mid-century buildings will be considered for preservation and historic status. Reaching historic status would make the Mitchell Park Domes eligible for state and federal historic tax credits and aid in the financing of needed repairs. The Milwaukee County War Memorial Center is another excellent example of the city’s history that may be deserving of historic designation. According to Jeff Joseph, interviewed for the article, “If we lose the history of modern buildings, we lose the history of our innovation.” This is a strong reminder to all working to preserve Places the Matter. 

Read the full article on JSOnline

Contact House Representatives to Strengthen Historic Tax Credits

Urge your House Representative to cosponsor Historic Tax Credit improvement legislation!

Reprinted from National Trust for Historic Preservation Newsletter | April 5, 2021

On April 1, Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) introduced a new version of the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO) in the House of Representatives. The legislation includes temporary tax provisions to bring relief to projects impacted by the pandemic, and contains permanent provisions that add value to the federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC), improve access to the credit, and increase investment in smaller rehabilitation projects. The introduction of companion legislation in the Senate is expected soon.

The HTC is a proven tax incentive for both revitalizing historic community assets and supporting economic development and recovery. Please contact your House Representative and encourage them to cosponsor the HTC-GO.

What’s in the new version of the HTC-GO legislation?

Temporary Provisions

Developers and building owners are experiencing challenges in rehabbing historic buildings. The financial markets have slowed to a crawl, making it difficult for projects to access capital and stalling complex historic real estate developments. The increased volatility in the market and project risk is forcing banking institutions to decrease their loan frequency and the overall amount while tightening underwriting requirements. Increases in material and construction costs and an uncertain tenant market have further impacted potential developments. As a result, many projects have stalled or are no longer feasible.

The HTC-GO legislation temporarily increases the rehabilitation credit (IRC § 47) to address projects impacted by the pandemic. 

• This provision increases the HTC percentage from 20% to 30% for 2020 through 2024. 

• The credit percentage is phased down to 26% in 2025, 23% in 2026, and returns to 20% in 2027 and thereafter. 

Permanent Provisions

The following provisions would make important changes to the HTC to encourage more building reuse and redevelopment nationwide and would be particularly impactful for small, midsize, and rural communities. These provisions would not only make the credit easier to use and more historic properties eligible, but it would also enhance the value of the HTC and make the credit easier to use to create affordable housing. 

• Increases the credit from 20% to 30% for projects with less than $2.5 million in qualified rehabilitation expenses, making it easier to complete small rehabilitation projects. 

• Lowers the substantial rehabilitation threshold, making more buildings eligible to use the HTC.

• Eliminates the requirement that the value of the HTC must be deducted from a building’s basis (property’s value for tax purposes), increasing the value of the HTC and making it easier to pair with the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

• Makes the HTC easier to use by nonprofits for community health centers, local arts centers, affordable housing, homeless services, and others by eliminating IRS restrictions that make it challenging to partner with developers.

To get a fact sheet about HTC and HTC-GO, visit the Preservation Leadership Forum's Resource Library. 

Trust News: SHPO Historic Tax Credits Workshop

On March 26, the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office held a virtual workshop for Historic Tax Credits. The following announced were issued during the event:

• 2021 WAHPC Virtual Spring Conference will be held virtually via Zoom April 23-24. Registration and full agenda on the WAHPC website

• The US Congress is considering a temporary increase in the federal tax credit from 20% to 30%

• A new museum for the Wisconsin Historical Society is moving forward

Liz Petrella from the National Park Service presented information about preparing a successful Federal Historic Tax Credit Application, emphasizing that, for now, all documents must be submitted as hard copies in duplicate. However, the NPS is planning to transition to electronic submissions in the future. The National Archives will not be accepting hard copy submissions after December 31, 2022.

Marc Zettler, also a Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation Board Member, gave a detailed presentation on how to properly conduct a window survey for a historic property, including a brief history of window types and glazing in the United States, how to evaluate existing conditions, the importance of photographic documentation, and how to consider repairs versus replacement within the Secretary of Interior standards.

The Trust works in tandem with the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and supports their efforts and events like this workshop. With a vast array of resources and supporting personnel, the SHPO is considered be the primary resource for preservation efforts in the state. Visit the SHPO online for more details.

The Annual Report on the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program is here!

In March, the National Park Service released the Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2020 summarizing the year’s activity across the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program. The 20% Federal tax credit, coupled with Wisconsin’s 20% State historic tax credit, helps property owners rehabilitate historic buildings.

Governor’s Mansion Inn and Café. Madison, WI

Photo: David Waugh

The report includes a summary of select projects across the nation, including a showcase of the revitalized Governor’s Mansion Inn and Café in Madison, Wisconsin.

According to the report, Wisconsin approved 34 new projects in 2020 (based on approved Part 1 applications) and 22 project completions worth over $220 million in Federal rehabilitation tax credits. Wisconsin is 13th in the nation in the value of tax credits since 2016, an impressive standing when considering the size of our state. In addition to preserving historic places, preservation generates jobs and economic activity throughout Wisconsin.

Download the report below to read the state-by-state project activity summary highlighting estimated qualified rehabilitation expenditures and five year cumulative totals..

The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program, administered by the National Park Service in partnership with the State Historic Preservation Offices, is the nation’s most effective program to promote historic preservation and community revitalization through historic rehabilitation.