Tacoma, Washington has created a local improvement district in the Broadway-St. Helens neighborhood to create an 'urban village' and improve old infrastructure, but existing small businesses are afraid of being priced out.
"When construction is finished on the Broadway-St. Helens 'urban village' in Tacoma in 2010, the area will have wider, tree-lined sidewalks with chic lighting and 'sidewalk furniture.'
Then there are the improvements you won't see: the new, bigger underground power, water and sewer lines that should accommodate plenty of development.
What you also might not see: some of the existing businesses, which fear they'll be priced out by the cost of the improvements or the resulting property tax increases.
'My cost is somewhere close to a quarter-million and for it I get nothing,' said Alan Gorsuch, owner of Sanford & Son Antiques in the Broadway LID. 'The LID is for planting, street lighting and underground power we've already got.'"
"Gorsuch said he's 'not paying a nickel' of the LID cost and plans to take the city to court over the LID formation process, which he characterized as illegal."
FULL STORY: ‘Urban village,’ urban warfare
Trends and Strategies in Urban Assessment Districts
Business improvement districts and other assessment districts are evolving as more residents move downtown. Among other things, place making is more important. Long time district consultant Marco Li Mandri explains the trends and strategies.
Why Some BIDs Succeed Where Others Fail
An in-depth study of business improvement districts (BIDs) in two Los Angeles neighborhoods examines the factors behind their success or failure.
How Cities Can Help Retail Catch Up with Residential
Scott Beyer details the old real estate wisdom of "retail follows rooftops," especially as evidenced by cities like Cleveland in recent years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie