Business Improvement District bill signed by Mississippi Governor

Source: Cottonmouth Blog

HB 968 has been signed by the Governor of Mississippi on April 16, 2012.  It removes some of the more onerous provisions of the laws that allow for the creation of business improvement districts across Mississippi.  BIDs, as they are known, are areas where property owners vote to tax themselves for improvements and services provided within the district.  Downtown Jackson Partners runs the Downtown Jackson BID, providing additional security, beautification, community-building, and marketing efforts on top of those provided by the City of Jackson.  DJP has been successful, and was recently reauthorized by Downtown Jackson property owners.

Previous law was onerous, though, as BIDs were required to be reauthorized every 5 years by 70% of property owners.  And that's 70% of all property owners, not just those choosing to vote. HB 968 lowers the required majority to 60% of the participating property owners, and extends the re-authorization period from 5 years to 10 years.

This is good legislation, as many areas in Mississippi that would benefit from BIDs are dealing with absentee landlords who refuse to participate in the process.  DJP has worked wonders for Downtown Jackson, and other areas of the state could benefit from similar entities.  Here's hoping HB 968 makes its way through the Legislature.

Greater & Greener: Re-Imagining Parks for 21st Century Cities

The Premier Forum for Park Innovation

City Parks Alliance’s International Urban Parks Conference, Greater & Greener: Re-Imagining Parks for 21st Century Cities, in New York City July 14-17, 2012, will bring together park and recreation leaders; community development professionals; municipal and federal government staff; elected officials; academics; city planners; neighborhood leaders; and private developers to celebrate, debate, organize, connect and share with others working to change the landscape in cities across the nation and around the world. As our planet becomes more urban, new and revitalized parks are critical to making our cities greater and greener—places that thrive environmentally, economically and socially.

If you want to learn more about the conference, our offerings and the scheduled speakers, head over here…

CREATING COMMUNITY-BASED BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

Brownfields impact communities in a variety of ways. Abandoned or dilapidated buildings on brownfield sites signal neglect even in an otherwise well-maintained neighborhood.  Contaminants found on brownfield sites can pollute soil, air, and water resources on- and off-site. This poses environmental and public health threats. Safety
is another issue as neglected sites are a breeding ground for illegal activities, such as dumping. Finally, brownfields are a drain on the local economy and take a serious toll on community morale, especially in low-income neighborhoods that suffer from a disproportionate number of brownfield sites.

Despite these negative impacts, brownfields present an opportunity to communities.  Redevelopment efforts across the country have transformed former gas stations, contaminated industrial sites, dilapidated hospitals, and run-down, asbestos-laden schools into affordable housing, parkland and open space, community centers, housing for elderly, mixed-use developments, and even community gardens and other forms of urban agriculture. Brownfields are often found in prime locations—central to business districts, bordering or within neighborhoods, along popular commercial corridors, and on high-traffic transportation routes, and provide opportunities for economic development in historically disinvested communities. Brownfields offer developable land in otherwise built-out communities. The redevelopment of even a single brownfield site can spur economic development and opportunities throughout an entire district.

Each and every brownfield site is different. Physical characteristics, site history, community dynamics, location, contaminants, ownership, and financing all play a role in the how a site is redeveloped. Notwithstanding, below is a basic redevelopment process that can be molded to fit almost any effort to remediate and redevelop a brownfield site. The basic steps in the brownfield redevelopment process include:

Step 1: Develop a Community Vision
Step 2: Identify Brownfield Sites
Step 3: Assess Level of Contamination
Step 4: Determine Reuse Options
Step 5: Evaluate Cleanup Options
Step 6: Implement a Redevelopment Plan

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Rock Hill, South Carolina, Considers Deal With City Schools Over Downtown Revitalization Project.

The Rock Hill (SC) Herald (1/24, Smith) reports, "The Rock Hill City Council will consider an agreement tonight that would post police officers at several city schools in exchange for the school district continuing to let tax dollars go toward downtown revitalization." The resolution will let the city "move forward with the Downtown Redevelopment Plan, which calls for an extension of the Tax Increment Financing district - or TIF - in the downtown area and adds 10 acres." The school will need to give up $230,000 as part of the agreement to fund the downtown development area.