Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Legal Services Department

 

TO: 

David Corliss,  City Manager

Toni Wheeler, Interim Director of Legal Services

FROM:

John Jay Miller, Staff Attorney

 

CC:

Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager

Date:

December 6, 2006

 

RE:

Developer Agreement and Neighborhood Revitalization Plan and Program  for the 8th and Pennsylvania District

 

Staff has prepared a draft Neighborhood Revitalization Plan and Program, and  Developer Agreement for the 8th and Pennsylvania District along with a Resolution requesting a public hearing to initiate the approval of the Neighborhood Plan.

 

A Neighborhood Revitalization Plan is required by The Kansas Neighborhood Revitalization Act, K.S.A. 12- 17,114 et seq., in order to establish a property tax rebate program to encourage improvements to property within the Revitalization Area.   The proposal would establish a plan and program for the redevelopment of the 8th and Pennsylvania District.  The basis of this plan is that this is an “area in which there is a predominance of buildings or improvements which by reason of age, history, architecture or significance should be preserved or restored to productive use.” K.S.A. 12-17,115.

The Developer Agreement will formalize the development, construction and implementation of the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan and the public and private improvements.  As currently proposed the developer would only be eligible for rebates on an amount no greater than the cost of the public improvements and the rebates would be phased upon the completion of stages of the redevelopment.  Staff has met with Harris Construction and Cinco Hombres, LLC, and they have been given drafts of the agreement and plan to review. 

 

To initiate a Neighborhood Revitalization Plan the City Commission must first adopt a Resolution establishing the date and time of a public hearing to adopt the plan.  The Resolution is attached with a public hearing scheduled for January 9th at 6:30 P.M. 

 

Staff recommends approving the Resolution. The draft Developer Agreement,   Neighborhood Revitalization Plan and Program, and project estimates  are attached for your review.