Eau Claire RDA advances plan for expanded redevelopment district; requests staff refine boundaries and pursue two focus areas

The Eau Claire Redevelopment Authority on June 18 directed staff to continue developing a proposed, city-area "expanded" redevelopment district intended to give the RDA a broader set of parcels to target for infill redevelopment and affordable housing. Board members also signaled support for pursuing a separate Southwest Industrial District for longer-term acquisition and redevelopment of heavy-industrial sites.

Staff described the expanded district as a hybrid that would include the Cannery District core, an extension north of Madison and Barstow, Banbury Place and adjacent downtown parcels, and a Southwest Industrial Quadrant west of the old Shopko plaza. Staff said most of the expanded area falls inside a HUD-designated qualified census tract and therefore captures many of the community's lower-income neighborhoods.

Presentations to the board included data compiled by consultants (Ayers and associates) on vacancy, property age and condition, household characteristics and public-safety metrics. Staff cited an estimate of 25,389 residents in the expanded area, about 10,367 households and a mean…