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RDA reviews draft Sawdust District redevelopment plan; staff to return in November for adoption
Summary
The Redevelopment Authority reviewed draft redevelopment-plan documents for the Sawdust District and discussed removing overlapping parcels from the existing South Shore redevelopment plan; staff said final adoption is planned for November after mapping and minor edits.
Redevelopment Authority staff presented draft redevelopment-plan documents for the Sawdust District and the related amendment to the South Shore redevelopment plan, saying the drafts are preliminary and will be returned for formal adoption in November.
Kelli (staff member) introduced the drafts as part of the Sawdust District master-planning process and turned the presentation over to Mark (staff member) to explain statutory implications and the need to amend overlapping redevelopment areas.
Mark (staff member) said the primary benefit of adopting a redevelopment plan is to provide “statutory authority over what takes place in that area,” including the ability to deny certain types of permits for developments inconsistent with the adopted plan. He said some parcels currently in the South Shore redevelopment area overlap the Sawdust District boundary and that the intent is to remove those parcels from South Shore and adopt a fresh Sawdust District redevelopment plan aligned with the master plan. Mark said the documents provided at the meeting include draft text but that maps and some details remain to be completed.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the scope and the corridor reestablishment goal for South Main Street. One board member asked where the “old” street wall is found; staff explained that reestablishing the South Main Street street wall means encouraging building placement closer to the street consistent with the Sawdust District master plan and cited examples of previous building types that were shifted off the street wall.
Staff said the plan area will extend roughly half a block west of Main Street in parts and will continue south in the Sawdust District toward the arena area, with the updated plan aiming to guide long-term commercial and entertainment-oriented redevelopment rather than industrial uses. Staff requested written comments from the authority members and said they plan to return in November with the finished plan and maps for adoption.
The discussion was informational; no formal action or vote to adopt the plan occurred during this meeting.
