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Council discusses new Blight Court and a local bill to expand municipal enforcement powers
Summary
Administrators presented plans to stand up a Blight Court pilot that would target clusters of commercial blight and seek legislative authority to expand municipal administrative powers (including zoning-related enforcement); staff will prepare a local bill and coordinate with the delegation on filing deadlines.
City staff briefed the Economic Workforce and Planning Development committee on plans to launch a Blight Court pilot and on a proposed local bill to give Alexandria broader administrative authority to address commercial blight.
The administration said it will begin by targeting clusters of commercial properties, gateway corridors and age- or safety-related sites rather than scattering small actions across the city. "We should be looking at more clustering," the presenter said, noting that focused intervention can generate larger-area improvements than small, isolated actions.
The committee discussed the mechanics of pursuing a local bill with the state legislature to grant specific powers — for example, authority to address zoning and related land-use enforcement at an administrative level. Staff said the draft would mirror language used in comparable cities and would require coordination with the local delegation and adherence to pre-filing and advertising deadlines in Baton Rouge.
Committee members urged prompt action so the city can move from commercial to residential cases over time and to prioritize properties near schools and churches. Staff said they are conducting ownership and mortgage research on an initial set of roughly 10–12 commercial properties and hope to begin the Blight Court in the coming weeks to months, depending on due-process notification and legal steps.
Next steps: Staff will prepare draft legislation for local filing, continue ownership and notice research for an initial batch of targeted properties, and return to the committee with a prioritized list for early action. The committee emphasized the goal of expediting demolition or remediation where public safety or neighborhood integrity is affected.
