Redevelopment commission adopts declaratory resolution to amend Jacobsville plan, asks consultant for priority next steps

The Evansville Redevelopment Commission voted Dec. 17 to adopt a declaratory resolution to amend the Jacobsville redevelopment area plan, moving the draft forward to the area plan stage and then to city council for final confirmation.

The commission’s vote followed a presentation by Cynthia Bowen, director and partner at Rundell, Ernstberger & Associates, which was hired to lead the Jacobsville plan. Bowen summarized the plan’s boundary and seven major recommendations, including a regional destination zone near Garfield Park and Bossy Field, a live/work/play corridor along North Main Street, a residential enhancement area between Fulton and First avenues, and an industrial transition area toward Pigeon Creek. “We were hired to lead the Jacobsville redevelopment area plan,” Bowen said, adding the recommendations aim to increase tree canopy, mix land uses, and incorporate public spaces and streetscape improvements.

Commissioners asked whether the document presented was final. A staff participant described the process: the declaratory resolution is the first step, after which the plan moves to the area plan review, then to the city council, and finally returns for a confirmatory action by the Redevelopment Commission. Bowen agreed to work with staff to add clearer immediate next steps and a ‘getting started’ prioritization page to guide early projects that can demonstrate success and attract private investment.

The plan maps presented show a mix of infill small-scale development (duplexes and triplexes) and larger multi‑family or mixed-use redevelopment, plus recommended parking and open-space sites. Bowen emphasized public-private partnerships will likely be needed for catalytic projects: the city may need to assemble parcels or act as a developer to attract larger investments, while smaller infill projects could be led by private developers.

Commissioners thanked the consultant and staff for community engagement included in the appendix and noted the plan builds on the 2013 master plan. A motion to adopt Resolution 24 ERC 42 subject to staff and consultant amendments passed on a roll call. The commission directed staff and the consultant to incorporate minor corrections and the prioritized next-step guidance before returning to council and a later confirmatory vote.

The declaratory resolution advances the Jacobsville amendment through the next administrative steps; the commission did not finalize every textual detail at the meeting and expects a revised draft to be prepared for subsequent hearings and council review.