Click here for a copy of the letter of notification that the Ford Assembly Plant has been awarded a prestigious  2008 National Preservation Honor Award, one of only 15 awarded nationwide. The letter from National Trust President Richard Moe states:

"It is my great pleasure to inform you that the National Trust has selected Orton Development, Inc., Marcy Wong & Donn Logan Architects, Preservation Architecture, SWA Group, The Crosby Group, Dalzell Corporation, Morrow-Meadows Corporation, Bay City Mechanical, Gregory P. Luth Associates, Xander Design, Billy Hustace Photography, Ellen L. Gailing Photography, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Rosemary Corbin, and Congressman George Miller to receive one of the fifteen 2008 National Preservation Honor Awards for the renovation of the Ford Assembly Building.  On behalf of all of us at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, congratulations!

We will announce this year's winners in Tulsa at the 2008 National Preservation Conference.  The presentation ceremony, highlighting the winners' achievements, is scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 23, 2008, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Will Rogers High School.  We would be honored to have you join us at this celebration to accept your award..."

I am proud to have played a role in saving this building that began in 1984 when my firm, Interactive Resources prepared, pro bono, a successful nomination to the National Register of Historic Places that provided a minimal level of legal protection that nonetheless staved off more than one subsequent effort to raze the building. After the Loma Prieta earthquake but before I was elected to the City Council, Interactive Resources prepared the post-earthquake damage assessment that formed the basis for the FEMA grant that ultimately paid for some $18 million of rehabilitation costs. As a City Council member, I consistently supported sometimes controversial efforts for preservation and rehabilitation of the Ford Assembly Building for the past 13 years.

The Ford Assembly Building and its high profile tenants are bringing much positive attention to Richmond, and this will only increase with completion of the Visitor Center in the Crane Way for the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park. The entire Ford Assembly Building, incidentally, is part of the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park.