Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and a group of local stakeholders is circulating a proposal that would help the state of California and generate revenue for local redevelopment. Is it too late for a win-win in California?
The article features exclusive Q&A with the Mayor of Long Beach, Bob Foster:
"When we looked at the Governor's proposal, we said: what do we really need here? A lot of local governments need the extension of redevelopment areas; we also need reform; we also need to expand some of the definitions so we can go outside some of the projects areas to do things that would benefit those project areas."
"We then put a proposal together that has those elements-it would be attractive to local government to come into the process voluntarily. Then we took the housing set-aside, which is 20 percent, and used that money as a revenue stream for a 30-year bond. Then we took ten percent of the tax increment and use that revenue stream for a 30-year bond. The combination would enable us to defease-allowing for existing commitments-$12.6 billion in state general obligation debt."
Thanks to James Brasuell
Read the full story: Long Beach Mayor Foster Proposes Fix For Redevelopment
‘Shawshank Redemption’: 5 Adaptive Reuse Strategies for Shuttered Jails
Redeveloping closed correctional facilities in ways that foster just and thriving communities is a growing trend across the United States.
Preservation and Redevelopment Can Work Hand in Hand
While historic preservation is often perceived to be a hinderance to development efforts, preserving buildings actually helps economic development, say advocates.
D.C. Police Use Redevelopment to Predict, and Prevent, Crime
Peter Hermann describes the police force's efforts in D.C.'s up-and-coming areas to put a stop to crime and congestion before it even occurs.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes
The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.
Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that
Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.
Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits
The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello