Birmingham Hires Director Of Cultural Preservation

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin announced this week the city has hired Denise Gilmore as director of cultural preservation.

A release by Woodfin said Gilmore served as president and CEO of the Jazz District Redevelopment Corporation in Kansas City. There she led the commercial development of the mixed-use urban district and ensure the preservation of its cultural heritage. The Jazz district, during her tenure, saw new investments in housing commercial properties, infrastructure and greenspaces.

Most recently, she was with the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington D.C. She has worked on signature preservation projects in cities such as Detroit, Louisville, Atlanta and Philadelphia, focusing on using historic preservation as a spark for neighborhood revitalization. Her work also involved expanding the use of revolving funds and other financing tools that increase historic property redevelopment.

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“When you think of the role Birmingham played in the civil rights movement and how people gave their lives and struggled for racial equality, it’s important that we preserve those stories and legacies for future generations,’’ Gilmore said. “We want to preserve and protect these spaces so that people will continue to know what happened in Birmingham was a catalyst for the civil rights movement.’’

Photo by Michael Seale/Patch

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