Mr. John Tess

In this capacity he managed all Federal Pass-Through Grants-in-Aid Funds that provided matching grants for historic preservation development projects and preservation. In total, he managed over 200 Grants-in-Aid projects from 1978 through 1982.

While with the State, John also managed both the State Historic Property Tax Exemption Program and the Federal Tax Incentive Program for the Rehabilitation of Historic Structures made available by the Tax Reform Act of 1976.

By 1982, Mr. Tess had developed expertise in historic preservation including State and Federal tax incentive programs related to the rehabilitation of older buildings as well as in the historic designation and the Section 106 process. During that year John founded Heritage Investment Corporation to provide historic preservation consulting to the real estate industry.

As the company continued to grow, Mr. Tess established Heritage as the leading regional expert on the redevelopment of older buildings through tax incentives and other tools. Heritage became respected for its ability to effectively solve problems and obtain successful results for its clients. Additionally, John is active in organizations that are involved in the redevelopment of historic properties on the local and national levels.

He is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Action and the National Housing and Rehabilitation Association. He served on the City of Portland’s Seismic Task Force and was appointed by Governor Kitzhaber to the State of Oregon Seismic Task Force. John is a frequent speaker on historic preservation, matters regarding the use of incentives for historic preservation. Speaking engagements include The Urban Land Institute, NHRA, National Trust, National Park Service conferences and local and state preservation organizations.

Mr. Tess can be contacted at 503-228-0272 or jmtess@heritage-consulting.com