AUGUSTA – A national leader in the business of historic preservation will share his expertise as the keynote speaker of the 8th Annual Maine Downtown Conference.

Donovan Rypkema, principal of PlaceEconomics, a Washington, D.C.-based real estate and economic development-consulting firm, wrote “The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide.” The book, updated in 2005, is considered a primer on how to argue for preservation of buildings with historic and cultural value. A companion book, published in 2007, offers a step-by-step process to determine the feasibility of a building project and prepare a written report to support the findings.

Sponsored by the Maine Downtown Center, a program of the Maine Development foundation, the conference is set for Friday, June 6, in Biddeford.

“Downtown revitalization is important to the entire state from an economic standpoint and a community standpoint,” said Kristen Cady, director of the Maine Downtown Center. “People come together to talk about what’s going on in their communities, to be with other downtown enthusiasts and to figure out ways to move our downtowns forward.”

The conference, titled “Downtowns Rule: Measures to Getting it Right,” will offer sessions to help communities that are working to revitalize their downtowns. Two laws that take effect this year are key to downtown development: a new historic tax credit and uniform building codes. A legislative panel with Sen. Richard Nass, Rep. Ted Koffman, Rep. Stephen Beaudette and Sue Inches from the State Planning Office will discuss the new laws.

A panel of mill developers including Tom Niemann of Niemann Capital, Sam Spencer of Spencer Monks Development and Ric Quesada of Fore River Co. will talk about their Maine projects. A portion of the conference will take place in the Riverdam Mill, a sprawling redevelopment project of Spencer’s in downtown Biddeford.

Cady said the conference will address issues as diverse as business retention, tourism, fundraising and marketing.

The day also honors those who have contributed to downtown revitalization with the Downtown Achievement Awards, presented during the luncheon. The town of Norway figures prominently in the awards, receiving the Outstanding Image Campaign for its Downtown Norway Map & Guide and honoring resident Ken Morse as Board Member of the Year.

The conference starts at Biddeford City Theater at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 6. The cost for the Conference is $85 ($60 for Main Street Maine Communities and Maine Development Foundation members). More information is available at www.mdf.org/downtown.