Laramie planners outline North Fourth Street urban renewal plan, schedule public open houses

The Laramie Urban Renewal Agency presented details and next steps for a proposed North Fourth Street urban renewal plan and project, telling the City Council the plan could enable tax-increment financing to pay for infrastructure and public-realm improvements.

Consultants and city staff said the city adopted a preliminary declaration of blight for portions of the North Fourth corridor in 2022, which makes the area eligible for an urban renewal plan and named projects. The agency and consultants described typical eligible activities — demolition, utilities, street and stormwater work, sidewalks and park improvements — and emphasized that any tax-increment financing (TIF) would capture only new property-value growth above the existing tax base rather than create a new tax.

Mark Christiansen, AICP, partner and senior planner with ABI PC, told the council that the city’s blight study (prepared by Ayers Associates) identified five conditions of blight in the North Fourth area, including deteriorated structures, flooding and poor street connections. Todd (city staff) described the city-owned site that anchors the study area — the former public works facilities, the old utility and street shops, the removed gas station and adjacent parcels — and said an RFP attracted development interest but that the development team’s funding request to the Wyoming Community Development Authority (WCDA) was not forwarded for award.

The council was asked to help refine the proposed project-area boundary. Council members urged including curbs, gutters and sidewalks adjacent to the right-of-way and recommended viewing the area holistically to account for drainage pinch points and potential relocation or rebuilding needs. Councilor Lockhart and others requested an on-site inspection before finalizing boundaries. Todd said the city has scheduled two public open-house meetings on Thursday at the old street shop, 955 North Forest Street, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and that the Urban Renewal Agency will hold a special meeting after the 6:30 p.m. session with updates and discussion.

Christiansen explained that if a plan enables TIF, the existing tax base is fixed at adoption and future incremental tax increases are directed to a special fund to pay project-related obligations. He said tying a plan and a development project closely together maximizes the capture of incremental tax revenue because delays in development reduce years of increment collection. He also noted the statutory requirement under Wyoming law (15-9-107) to make relocation provisions if a project displaces residents, even though no displacement is proposed at this time.

Councilors and staff discussed potential public improvements: stormwater upgrades, curb and gutter, sidewalks, façade enhancements and pedestrian amenities. Several councilors stressed housing as a preferred future use; Christiansen and staff said the plan could support multifamily, townhomes and mixed-use development and that developers typically request TIF to close financing gaps on projects that meet the URA’s objectives.

Todd said the developer chosen through the city’s RFP process is Northwest Group, but that Northwest Group’s proposal was not selected for the WCDA funding package; he said the developer remains interested and the city will continue working with them and with WCDA to find funding. Staff said, as next steps, the URA will draft the plan, hold the public meetings, launch a property-owner survey and return to planning commission and council for formal plan adoption once the plan and project are finalized.

The presentation and council comments made clear the URA intends to use TIF only for public improvements identified in the plan area and that any development agreement and use of funds would require future council approval.