A home in the Sunrise Boulevard Historic District. Redfin photo.

Long Beach is restarting a program that allows owners of historic buildings to get breaks on their property taxes if they perform agreed-upon upkeep and preservation projects.

The city paused the program, which is authorized through the statewide Mills Act, in 2020 because of a lack of city resources to process applications and oversee the contracts, which can offer steep cuts on property tax bills.

Now, Long Beach is reopening the application process for property owners starting with a Jan. 28 pre-application workshop and a Feb. 18 application workshop. The pre-application workshop is mandatory and will provide an overview of the program, its benefits and what’s required for eligibility, according to an announcement Tuesday.

The program can benefit recent buyers of historic buildings or designated landmark sites who have plans to restore their homes or business properties. In some cities, the tax benefits can be as much as a 50% discount on annual property taxes, but it requires the owners, and any future buyers, to honor a contractual preservation plan, which generally covers 10-year increments.

Owners who have already finished improvements to their properties are not eligible, and condo owners or buildings overseen by a homeowners association must have their entire complexes agree to honor the contract to be eligible.

The city hands out only a limited number of the contracts each year, and it will prioritize projects based on factors such as applicants using local contractors and whether the building is a new landmark outside of a historic district.

In 2019, the last year the city administered the program, it only allowed 12 Mills Act contracts for single-family homes and 10 other contracts for duplexes, triplexes other multi-unit residential buildings and commercial spaces. Long Beach currently has 117 properties with Mills Act contracts, according to the city. It’s unclear how many could be added this round.

Any contracts recommended by the city’s planning staff for an award must be approved by the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission and the City Council. Property tax savings are generally seen in the following year’s October reassessment period. The deadline to turn in an application is March 3.

The Jan. 28 pre-application workshop is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon at the Jordan High School auditorium at 6500 Atlantic Ave. 

The Feb. 18 application workshop is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon at the Long Beach Energy Resources Department at 2400 E. Spring. St.

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Jason Ruiz covers City Hall and politics for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @JasonRuiz_LB on Twitter.