Focus on Building & Real Estate piece on how adopting a rehab code for existin

Focus on Building & Real Estate piece on how adopting a rehab code for existing buildings would benefit Maine\u27s downtowns. Without such a code, developers must conform to new building codes with arbitrary dimensional and material requirements, creating unpredictable financial risks. LD 472 would make the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) the required rehab code for those communities that choose to adopt one. In states that adopt rehab codes, shabby buildings become community landmarks, and progress is made in fighting sprawl. The year following New Jersey\u27s adoption of a code saw a 42 percent increase in rehab projects