The City of Parkville is moving forward with a plan that could pave the way for the redevelopment and renovation of some areas of downtown through a blight designation.
At the Tuesday, Nov. 5 meeting of the board of aldermen, director of community development Stephen Lachky presented the city's proposed agreement with Development Initiatives for the blight study, at a cost of $13,500. The current initiative was triggered, in part, by the reconstruction of the former Finders Keepers buildings on Main Street by developer Brian Mertz.
In April, the city declared the buildings blighted to speed the developer's efforts to seek public financial assistance through Missouri Department of Economic Development Chapter 353 tax abatement on property taxes for up to 25 years. Since, attorneys for the developer have pressed the city to consider a wider Chapter 353 assistance plan for downtown.
Mayor Nan Johnston wanted to clear up some preconceptions about the blight designation, which is an economic development term and does not imply decay, crime or condemnation.
“Blight is a scary word for a lot of people who may be wondering why on Earth we would want to consider the entire downtown blighted,” Johnston said.
The legal definition of blight, as used in economic development, can cover everything from an old building with outdated renovations to an empty lot that could be better used for other things. Efforts would be focused on commercial operations within the old town zoning district.
Lachky also reminded the board of the Vision Downtown Parkville plan, which was adopted by the board of aldermen in 2014. In it, the city sought to strengthen the economic viability of the area through various strategies, including improvements to the structure and physical appearance of buildings downtown.
“A number of buildings throughout downtown Parkville haven’t been renovated, remodeled or improved, or properly maintained over time, and are often maintained to the bare minimum of the city’s property maintenance code,” Lachky said in his report. “Other buildings have been altered in ways that don’t contribute to the quaint, historic character of downtown. Chapter 353 economic development incentives offer an opportunity to preserve the downtownís unique character and appearance by providing a financial tool/mechanism (property tax abatement) for property owners to utilize.”
City officials met with downtown property owners and merchants in July and again in September to gauge interest in Chapter 353 incentives and have since moved forward with the plan. The blight study is the next step in the process, which the city plans to fast track, with the results reported to the board within 30 days.
City administrator Joe Parente said not all individual properties within the downtown district would be considered blighted — some properties have been recently renovated or are not in need of work — but the overall district designation would help the city with the formation of a redevelopment corporation next year. That process would include public forums and additional discussion by the board of aldermen before a plan could be adopted via ordinance.
Johnston said the city's efforts to create an economic development district would allow property owners and merchants to invest in their properties.
Alderman Phillip Wassmer said the economic blight designation would have no affect on the property values and the initiative is a potential ‘home run’ for those seeking to update their properties.