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MEMO TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCI <br />FROM: CLERK-ADMINISTRATO <br />DATE: OCTOBER 2, 1989 <br />SUBJECT: REDEVELOPMENT <br />During the time that I have been with the City, the issue of <br />redevelopment has frequently been raised but never discussed <br />in depth nor has specific direction been given by the <br />Council to staff. The purpose of this memo is to first <br />review the various redevelopment options available to the <br />City and then to seek direction on how the Council wishes <br />staff to address this issue, if that is your desire. <br />Over the last two decades redevelopment has changed <br />dramatically in the United States, both in the level of <br />national commitment and the manner in which it occurs. The <br />loss of the massive infusion of federal dollars has required <br />that cities be more selective and less aggressive in their <br />redevelopment efforts. <br />Currently, redevelopment takes three basic forms. The first <br />is redevelopment where monies are made available through <br />grants or loans to fix up buildings and make them more <br />habitable or return them to a habitable state after being <br />abandoned. In Ramsey County there are seven different grant <br />or loan programs available to single family residential <br />homeowners to assist in the rehabilitation of their homes. <br />The number of grants or loans for multi -family or rental <br />property owners is limited, however, aggressive enforcement <br />of our housing code has helped us to avoid some of the <br />horror stories reported in the center cities. <br />Rehabilitation of commercial or industrial buildings, <br />although not unheard of, is something government has gotten <br />into only recently and then only on a limited basis and at <br />the local level. <br />The second form of redevelopment is selective or site <br />specific clearance. In this case, properties are acquired <br />and buildings cleared to allow for new construction. The <br />new construction is usually for an already approved project <br />or in the case of housing, to allow for the construction of <br />new homes to spur the revitalizaiton of a deteriorating <br />neighborhood. Except for a small amount of Community <br />Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds available through <br />Ramsey County, the sole source of funds for this type of <br />activity is tax increment (TIF) money either issued directly <br />for the project or surplus increments from a previously <br />funded project in the same district. <br />' The third form of redevelopment, and one that has become <br />less popular over the years, is what I would call "scorch <br />