Oxford held its first Historic Preservation Day on May 28th, featuring tours and stations at various Uptown buildings, led by consulting firms McKenna and Preservation Forward, who are working on the city's historic preservation plan. The event, which began at the Oxford Community Arts Center, allowed residents to learn about local properties and included award recognitions for Tom Ellis, Bob Wolfe, and Tony Miller for their preservation efforts.

Preservation Forward researchers Jessica Flores and Becca Murphy uncovered numerous historical accounts of prisoner breakouts from the Old Mecosta County Jail, including creative escape methods like sawing bars and hiding the cuts with chewing gum, as part of their research for nominating the 1893 building to the National Register of Historic Places.

Jessica Flores, a consultant from Preservation Forward, is helping the Old Jail Committee in Big Rapids apply for the historic Mecosta County Old Jail to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with initial paperwork submitted and discussions ongoing about future rehabilitation strategies and potential economic development opportunities.

Oxford is moving forward with plans to designate the Mile Square on the National Register of Historic Places as part of broader historic preservation efforts, with consultant Jennifer Flores of Preservation Forward explaining this honorary designation would carry no regulatory requirements but could open up additional funding opportunities for both the city and property owners.

Jessica Flores, a certified architectural historian and "historic building whisperer," runs Preservation Forward, a consultancy specializing in historic building rehabilitation based in Michigan, while also teaching at Michigan State University. Originally from West Virginia, she developed her passion for historic architecture at a young age and now helps clients across multiple states understand, care for, and revitalize historic buildings.

The City of Negaunee recently received National Register of Historic Places designation for its downtown district after a two-year application process led by Jessica Flores of Preservation Forward, which provides opportunities for preservation, promotion, grants, and tax credits to encourage investment and downtown revitalization while honoring the city's rich mining heritage and architectural legacy.

If the plan moves forward and Downtown Jackson is included on the National Register of Historic Places, state and federal tax credits could be made available to downtown buildings, with no new restrictions placed on their properties, city officials said.

East Lansing's City Council delayed voting on changing the Oakwood Historic District boundaries while Jessica Flores, current Chair of the Historic District Commission, joined other commissioners and residents in advocating for preservation, emphasizing that historic districts offer aesthetic protection and property value stability while still allowing for appropriate development and renovations.

The Historic District Study Committee in Manistee is finalizing recommendations for boundary changes to the Manistee Commercial Historic District with consultant Jessica Flores of Preservation Forward, focusing particularly on Washington Street properties and reclassifying buildings as contributing or non-contributing before presenting their report to city council and the Michigan Historic Preservation Office.

Jessica Flores, an architectural historian with Preservation Forward, has been hired by the Project Empire Initiative to help get Downtown Ishpeming listed on the National Register of Historic Places by researching the area and creating a proposal that highlights the unique hilltop topography of this "bright community on a shining hill."