City Newspaper Archives - 3/2007
DEVELOPMENT: Zoning changes proposed for Midtown
Published by Jeremy Moule on Mar 16, 2007
The properties that make up Midtown Plaza could soon become part of an urban renewal district.
City Council will hold a public hearing on the change at its March 20 meeting.
The Midtown Urban Renewal Project provides flexibility in several areas should a developer come in with specific plans, says Carlos Carballada, the city's commissioner of economic development.
"There isn't an actual plan that says what we are going to do next," he said this morning.
The plan establishes a special zoning district containing the properties bordered by East Main Street, South Clinton Avenue, Chestnut Street, and Court Street.
The changes would make it easier for the city to obtain property if it is needed and to sell it at a lower value, says City Councilmember Bill Pritchard. Among the ways the city could obtain property is through condemnation, Carballada said. But at least for the time being, he said, any development at Midtown would have to come from outside of city government.
Earlier this year, the city spent $250,000 to temporarily secure a purchase option for Midtown. The city was considering buying the complex so it could maintain some control over its future development. But faced with high maintenance costs, city officials decided not to exercise the option.
Negotiations are continuing between Riedman Properties and officials in Parma, Italy, about development of an Italian market complex in Midtown, Carballada said.
