Draft economic development plan proposes Pendleton Pike economic development area, sets stage for potential TIF districts

At the Redevelopment Commission’s Sept. 18 meeting, staff presented a draft economic development plan proposing an economic development area along Pendleton Pike intended to enable future tax-increment financing (TIF) districts and targeted redevelopment.

Russell, presenting the draft plan that he circulated to commissioners ahead of the meeting, said the map focuses on commercially oriented parcels on the south side of Pendleton Pike from Sunnyside toward Oakland Road and attempts to avoid large swaths of residential-only neighborhoods. "The first is to create an economic development area," Russell said. "The creation of an economic development area is not the creation of a TIF district." He said the council will review the plan because the common council serves as the city’s plan commission.

Why it matters: establishing an economic development area is a prerequisite for creating a TIF allocation area; it does not itself create a TIF. Russell said the draft plan would enable the commission and council to consider one or more TIF districts that would capture new incremental tax value for redevelopment projects. He noted housing is included as a goal because economic development areas can encompass housing, but that inclusion is a planning choice rather than a commitment to a specific housing project.

Map and parcel choices: Russell walked commissioners through the draft map and explained why certain parcels were included or excluded. He said the draft intentionally omitted the Walmart and its outlots because the store had recently undergone reinvestment and carried a relatively high assessed value, making it a less likely candidate for TIF incentives. He also said two parcels at Sunnyside and 50 Ninth Street were already in a stand-alone TIF district and therefore were not included in the proposed area. Russell said he attempted to keep the proposed area contiguous and that a parcel list would be attached to any formal map to avoid ambiguity.

Recent rezoning and related items: Russell told the commission the common council had approved a rezoning for 6450 Oakland Road the previous evening, changing the property from a special-use church zoning to commercial zoning; he said that rezoning would dovetail with parcels the commission is considering for the economic development area. He also said staff had written a letter supporting a potential senior-living facility that is under consideration in a state competitive process.

Process and timeline: Russell recommended commissioners review and send comments; he proposed returning the plan as an agenda item at the commission’s Oct. 16 meeting. He explained the council’s review is limited to whether the proposed plan conflicts with the comprehensive plan or other known local plans, and said a TIF creation would require a public hearing and a confirmatory resolution and could proceed in roughly 45 days once the allocation area process starts.

Questions and next steps: commissioners asked about specific parcels at several corners, contiguity across map pages and whether existing TIF boundaries would create gaps. Russell said staff could produce a parcel-number attachment and that commissioners should send feedback before the Oct. 16 meeting. The commission did not vote on the plan Sept. 18.

Ending: Staff requested written feedback and scheduled possible action on Oct. 16; commissioners did not adopt the plan on Sept. 18.