If you’re anything like me, then you love historic preservation. As such, you won’t want to miss this tonight.

Donovan Rypkema, author of “The Economics of Historic Preservation,” will be speaking tonight at 7:30PM in the Michigan Union’s Pendleton Room (located at 505 State Street in Ann Arbor).

From the presser:

This event will feature Donovan Rypkema, author of The Economics of Historic Preservation, a pragmatic preservation scholar known for his bold communication style on the topic. He is the principal of PlaceEconomics, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development consulting firm. The firm specializes in services to private and public sector clients who are dealing with downtown and neighborhood commercial district revitalization and the reuse of historic structures. Rypkema was educated at Columbia University where he received a Masters of Science degree in Historic Preservation. He has lectured widely on economic and preservation issues relating to rehabilitation, community development and commercial revitalization. In 2004 Rypkema established Heritage Strategies International, a new firm created to provide similar services to world-wide clients. He also teaches a graduate course in preservation economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Rypkema is also meeting with local officials at 3:30PM at the Ann Arbor Downtown Library if you are local and official and so desire.

If you can’t make it, Mr. Rypkema will probably blog about it.

The event is sponsored by the Washtenaw County Department of Planning and Development.