Detroit/Wayne County redevelopment authority proposed

[DetroitMan]

Detroit/Wayne County redevelopment authority proposed

A Kalamazoo state senator has proposed the creation of a Detroit/Wayne County redevelopment authority to help the city and county redevelop tax-reverted properties.

Sen. Tom George, R-Kalamazoo, announced the plan during a press conference in Detroit Thursday.

He said the plan would grant powers beyond those typically given to land banks; permitting investment in public infrastructure such as lighting, curbing, and landscaping; putting affordable housing on a level playing field with commercial redevelopment by enabling the redevelopment authority to waive its tax capture on housing parcels; designation of urban agricultural zones; and empowering the authority to rezone parcels in its possession if necessary to return parcels to productive use.

He also said his proposal would enable increased funding by allowing the redevelopment authority to capture taxes for eight years instead of the current five years.

“A lot of this simply comes down to giving local officials enough tools to do what’s necessary to turn vacant property to beneficial use,� said George.

George announced his proposal at a news conference in northwest Detroit at Motor City Blight Busters, a community-based nonprofit organization that helps stabilize, revitalize and rejuvenate neighborhoods in Detroit.

Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano has yet to review the plan and can’t yet comment on it, said Dennis Niemiec, the county’s director of creative services.
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...FREE/908219988

[skyl4rk]

What they need to do is to make law to allow creation of redevelopment authorities that can take control over all of City services in the authority district, and capture all City taxes. And then cover the City with redevelopment authorities, effectively eliminating City of Detroit control over anything.

Or maybe just split the City up by Fire Dept district and incorporate mini cities for each district.

[Corktown Mark]

Interesting that the proposal comes from a Kalamazoo Republican named Tom George. Certainly looks worth pursuing in Lansing by the Detroit/Wayne County delegation.

[dcmorrison12]

I need some clarification here. I've been pondering this for a while now. Why does Detroit have so many separate development organizations?

There's the DDA [[Detroit Demolition Authority... of course)
The DEGC [[Demolish Everything for a Good Cause)
The EDCD [[Economic Development Corporatation of Detroit)
The Detroit Rennaissance
and now the proposed Detroit/Wayne County Redevelopment Authority.

Why don't they all combine into one and have a real, coordinated agenda...

[Lorax]

Because the idea, proposed by an outstate Republican should give reason to pause.

It's more or less a land grab, and a circuitous way of creating little fiefdoms. Think of the mobile home parks we have here in Florida- You can buy the mobile home although it's really immobile, and lease the land it's sitting on for a monthly, or if cheap enough, a yearly fee.

This is where the redevelopment authority comes in. They "capture" the tax base [[land lease), provide the services the city normally would, security patrols, garbage collection, fire protection, etc. In effect, it is creating a layer for private enterprise to step in and take over entire swaths of the city, managing them as trailer parks are managed here in Florida, and elsewhere.

It renders a city council, mayor, etc, irrelevant to the residential areas of the city. It's rather like living in one of many gated communities, or a condominium, where bylaws, maintenance fees, etc, are collected by a "management" authority.

I would be wary of this, as it's a slippery slope to a privitization of city services, which will render the residents without a political voice in how those services are managed. No one to remove from office, only continually increasing monthly "taxes" or fees to cover the costs, and line the pockets of the corporation managing the communities.

[MIRepublic]

Thomas George is running for governor, right? It explains his recent and convenient fascination with Detroit. I have an idea, why don't we get the landbank going first and see how that works out? Did he run this by Ficano and Bing, first, to get ideas or feedback, or is he just grandstanding and meddling? He's more than welcome to implement and test a Kalamazoo/Kalamazoo County redevelopment authority, if he'd like.

[casscorridor]

Because the idea, proposed by an outstate Republican should give reason to pause.

It's more or less a land grab, and a circuitous way of creating little fiefdoms. Think of the mobile home parks we have here in Florida- You can buy the mobile home although it's really immobile, and lease the land it's sitting on for a monthly, or if cheap enough, a yearly fee.

This is where the redevelopment authority comes in. They "capture" the tax base [[land lease), provide the services the city normally would, security patrols, garbage collection, fire protection, etc. In effect, it is creating a layer for private enterprise to step in and take over entire swaths of the city, managing them as trailer parks are managed here in Florida, and elsewhere.

It renders a city council, mayor, etc, irrelevant to the residential areas of the city. It's rather like living in one of many gated communities, or a condominium, where bylaws, maintenance fees, etc, are collected by a "management" authority.

I would be wary of this, as it's a slippery slope to a privitization of city services, which will render the residents without a political voice in how those services are managed. No one to remove from office, only continually increasing monthly "taxes" or fees to cover the costs, and line the pockets of the corporation managing the communities.

I paused to think about this too, at first just because hes a Republican. But then I read this, and now it is starting to make a lot more sense. thanks lorax

[casscorridor]

What they need to do is to make law to allow creation of redevelopment authorities that can take control over all of City services in the authority district, and capture all City taxes. And then cover the City with redevelopment authorities, effectively eliminating City of Detroit control over anything.

Or maybe just split the City up by Fire Dept district and incorporate mini cities for each district.

sounds like milton friedman's wet dream.