The possible creation of a redevelopment authority that would work to renew blighted commercial and residential properties into tax-generating parcels will likely be put on hold until the city resolves its plans to secure a retail developer.
Last month during a specially called meeting, planning consultant Tripp Muldrow of the Arnett Muldrow firm proposed implementing an urban renewal plan and a five-member committee that would have the authority to buy, sell, rehabilitate or demolish underutilized parcels in an effort to bring more revenue to the city’s coffers.
City Planner Christina Berry worked with Muldrow and a stakeholders committee of developers and business owners to identify 830 such parcels. The areas of concentration included a stretch of Highway 45, commercial property along Fifth Street, between Second Street and Sixth Street, between 12th Street and 19th Street, North Seventh Avenue, the Warehouse District and The Island.
Muldrow previously discussed the same plan with the city’s planning commission, which has had the ability to review it and make comments but not make recommendations. Councilmen could alter the plan in accordance with commissioners’ comments and then bring it forward for a public hearing and approve a resolution to create the redevelopment authority after the hearing.
Planning commissioner Quinn Brislin said he supported creating an authority on the condition that the plan is executed properly.
“I feel like any kind of urban renewal in the city is needed, but the plan isn’t worth the paper it’s written on unless you’ve got the authority adhering to the plan,” Brislin said. “We can say, ‘Plan,’ and if you don’t have somebody that knows how to do it, how good is it? The plan has to be put in place before the authority can be put in place.”
Councilman Kabir Karriem said he supported establishing a redevelopment authority but said there was no timetable for it and the matter will be on the “back burner” until the city resolves its situation regarding retail recruitment and development. During the same specially called meeting when Muldrow presented his plan, a retail consulting firm from Alabama, Retail Strategies, made a pitch to the council to consider contracting with them for their services. Councilmen then entertained the possibility during a meeting Jan. 21 before Mayor Robert Smith suggested they first speak with officials from the Golden Triangle Development LINK, which had already been conducting similar duties for the city since it was established in 2003.
Two days later, the LINK announced it would no longer be responsible for retail development in Columbus, but would continue to pursue industrial development and continue working on the current retail projects it had already started with the city.
Smith confirmed he met with councilmen in two groups of three Wednesday to discuss the future of retail development, but no further information was made available and no timetable is set on the city’s next move.
As for the urban renewal plan, Karriem said he still had a few questions left on how it and the authority can be best used.
“The redevelopment authority is a good idea, but I don’t think that’s the main issue right now,” he said. “Until we get the retail development issue resolved, I don’t think the is something that’s on the front eye.”
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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