Council approves TIF for 14‑unit Port on Little Detroit townhomes

The Detroit Lakes City Council voted to adopt a resolution establishing Redevelopment Project No. 45 and Tax Increment Financing District 45‑1 for the Port on Little Detroit, a proposed 14‑unit townhome development on the former bowling alley site. Larry Remen, who introduced the plan to the council, said the developer is requesting $1,800,000 in tax increment financing for an approximately $18,000,000 project and that the TIF would be used for site preparation, including “upwards of $900,000 just for the footings, the pier footings for the buildings.”

The redevelopment authority had previously reviewed the plan, held a public hearing and recommended approval; the council opened its hearing, received no public comments and approved the resolution after a motion from the Community Development Committee. Chairwoman Spry moved the council recommendation forward; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Why it matters: The TIF will allow the developer to capture incremental property‑tax revenue from the project to reimburse site‑preparation costs, reducing the developer’s up‑front expense. Council and staff framed the action as following the development authority’s review and as a standard redevelopment financing tool; no specific environmental or traffic mitigation conditions were stated in the council motion.

What’s next: The council approved the redevelopment plan and the TIF district by resolution; implementation steps such as any interfund loan or development agreement will follow administrative processing. The public hearing record closed with no public testimony at this meeting.