The guidebook discusses how municipalities, developers, and communities can work together to successfully transform these institutional properties into residences and businesses that enliven the surrounding community while preserving the architectural character and heritage of landmark places in our neighborhoods. It discusses adaptive reuse and its benefits and challenges, looks at institutional properties in Montgomery County and examines the factors that have led many to close, examines examples of successful institutional adaptive reuse projects in the county, provides Best Management guidelines that can be used by communities, and offers additional resources.