HRA MINUTES 04221986 - Laserfiche WebLink

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-3- Chair Sundland said he had been told by several of the new merchants that Gordon • Fox, the former center management person, had warned them that the square footage amounts they were now being charged would not be stable because with all the improvements the City is making in the area and that the owners were now proposing to spend two or three million dollars themselves to upgrade the shopping center to match. The Chair also indicated he had told any merchants who had indicated they "wanted the City to leave them alone" that with the betterment of the customer base with all the improvements, it was inevitable the-rents would-6e rai-sed _even if the owner failed to follow through on any improvements. Commissioner Ranallo indicated he now understood the reestablishment of the Economic Development District would only provide a vehicle for the City to make its own improvements in the area, and was not intended to provide a base of aid for merchants who don't want to do anything for themselves. He suggested, however, that the merchants might be contacted before the proposal is presented, to encourage them as leaseholders to apply pressure to the center owners to start making improvements to their property to match the City's efforts in that area. Secretary/Treasurer Marks recalled that even when the Task Force had first worked on the Comprehensive Plan for the redevelopment of that area, there had been recognition that there would be some merchant resistance to any change and he speculated once the Economic Development District is back in place it might provide a tool for changing the center ownership or encouraging its present owners to make the changes their managers had been talking about for so long. Mr. Childs said he had gotten several inquiries about buying the center and the two station owners on Kenzie Terrace had both come to him regarding the use of Economic Development District funds to upgrade their own operations. • Vice Chair Enrooth reiterated that he perceived it was the City's responsibility to rid itself of the "eyesore" in that area and said he would like to take another look at establishing an economic district which would finance those improvements. Motion by Vice Chair Enrooth and seconded by Secretary/Treasurer Marks to adjourn the Housing and Redevelopment Authority meeting at 9:50 P.M. Motion carried unanimously. ID Respectfully submitted, Helen Crowe, Secretary