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Forest Park council adopts Halesworth TIF to clear former school site for housing
Summary
The Forest Park City Council adopted Ordinance 20‑2025 to create the Halesworth Incentive District TIF, exempting planned improvements from property tax for up to 30 years and establishing a tax‑increment equivalent fund to finance public infrastructure; council approved the ordinance 4‑0.
The Forest Park City Council on a 4‑0 vote adopted Ordinance 20‑2025, creating the Halesworth Incentive District tax increment financing (TIF) area to allow redevelopment of the former elementary school site.
The ordinance, read by the clerk, declares improvements to parcels in the district "a public purpose under section 5709.4 of the Ohio Revised Code," exempts 100% of those improvements from property taxation for up to 30 years and requires owners to make service payments into a tax‑increment equivalent fund to pay for public infrastructure serving the site.
The nut of the measure is that in lieu of property tax, property owners will deposit service payments to finance streets, utilities and other public works needed for the development. The ordinance also includes full compensation to the local school district and career center, as stated during the reading.
Council members said the site—described during the meeting as the old Forest View elementary school—will be developed with about 46 duplex homes once purchased by a private developer. The ordinance text and council comments confined council authority to establishing the TIF, setting the exemption and creating the dedicated fund; the ordinance does not itself describe final subdivision plats or individual building permits.
Mayor (role) urged adoption, saying the change would encourage new residents and generate additional income tax revenue to support city services. The clerk read the ordinance title and details before the vote.
Outcome: Ordinance 20‑2025 passed 4‑0.
The council did not set a construction schedule in the ordinance; future steps described in the meeting include developer approvals, infrastructure work financed from the TIF fund and the standard permitting process. The city and the developer will follow applicable state law for TIF implementation, and the enacted ordinance references section 5709.4 of the Ohio Revised Code as the legal basis.
