Grants Pass council directs staff to seek consultant for Washington "North Star" opportunity plan

Grants Pass City staff on Monday asked the council to authorize hiring a consultant to prepare an “opportunity plan” for roughly eight acres the city owns on the north end of town, a site staff and council discussed as a possible catalyst for housing and commercial investment.

The plan would evaluate zoning, infrastructure and market demand for three blocks of city-owned land — described in the presentation as the Washington, Midland and Franklin parcels — and would produce concept scenarios, a phasing strategy and developer criteria intended to attract private investment. City staff received direction to draft a request for proposals for a consultant and to return with a procurement package.

Why it matters: The site is large, relatively flat and has existing water and sewer infrastructure, making it a candidate for an urban renewal “catalyst” that could expand the…