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County, Madras and EDCO outline $500,000 retail-revitalization pilot to attract larger retailers
Summary
EDCO proposed a pilot that pairs $250,000 from the Madras Redevelopment Commission with $250,000 from Jefferson County to incentivize retailers or local-business expansions in properties of 12,000 sq ft or larger; commissioners suggested raising the size threshold, prioritizing jobs and including a review committee seat for commissioners.
Brenna Folkes, Jefferson County director at Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), presented a draft retail-revitalization Request for Information (RFI) to Jefferson County commissioners on June 16 proposing a $500,000 pilot incentive program.
Folkes said the pilot pairs $250,000 from the Madras Redevelopment Commission with $250,000 from Jefferson County to help recruit a larger retail tenant (for example a farm-and-ranch supplier or general hardware) or to support a local business expansion. The draft sets a 12,000-square-foot threshold for full $500,000 requests while allowing smaller projects outside the MRC district to compete for up to $250,000.
Folkes told commissioners the program would work with local brokers to identify eligible properties and then invite development teams to apply. She said the draft scoring criteria are intended to favor proposals that meet multiple objectives but are not strict prohibitions.
Commissioners offered several adjustments and cautions. Commissioner Taylor and others recommended tying scoring to job creation and wages, and warned against incentivizing projects that only provide storage or parking. Commissioners suggested raising the square-foot threshold (to target larger anchors), offering flexibility for partial awards, and inviting adjacent urban-renewal agencies (for example, Culver’s URD) to consider contributing to a matching pool.
Folkes said the RFI would likely be issued late July or early August, remain open for about two months and then return to the board with final language and recommendations. She said the review committee model would produce recommendations for the board to consider, and commissioners discussed the possibility of appointing a commissioner to the review committee to better align review guidance with the board’s priorities.
Commissioners requested clearer language on job expectations and salary metrics, flexibility in award sizing, and outreach to neighboring URDs; staff said they would refine the RFI and return with a final draft.
