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Home My WebLink AboutCP 233 f CIT FO WO , TEXAS COUNCIL PROPOSAL Date:817103 File Number: Subject:Consideration of the Designation of the Riverside Area as a Neighborhood Empowerment Zone 233 Proposed By:Ralph McCloud City Manager's Revie 10 Page: City Attorney's Review: PAGE 1 OF 4 PROPOSAL It is proposed that the City Council: 1. Schedule an item for the City of Fort Worth City Council Agenda on August 19, 2003 to consider designating the Riverside area as a Neighborhood Empowerment Zone(NEZ); and 2. Authorize the City Manager to prepare a resolution and ordinance to designate the Riverside area as a NEZ and Reinvestment Zone. DISCUSSION: I. NEZ Designation Criteria On April 25, 2000 (M&C G-12897), the City Council approved the Policy Statement on the Creation of Local '"w` NEZs in accordance with Chapter 378 of the Texas Local Government Code. The City Council also authorized the City Manager to identify neighborhood areas that may be eligible for NEZ designation and to develop administrative procedures for the NEZ Program. The NEZ Administrative Procedures were adopted by the City Council on October 3, 2000 and amended on April 2, 2002 to fine tune program requirements. The procedures included two methods by which a NEZ may be designated: 1)City Council Proposal and designation;or 2)An application process. In 1998, the Riverside neighborhood received the Model Blocks (MB) designation and was awarded $1.2 million (M&C G-12347 dated September 29, 1998, and M&C G-12966 dated July 25, 2000). The United Riverside Model Blocks (URMB) Steering Committee formed a community development organization, the United Riverside Rebuilding Corporation(URRC),which was approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt 501(cx3)organization in December 2000, and by the City as a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO)in January 2001. URRC is sponsoring an effort to seek NEZ designation for the Riverside area through Council Proposal. URRC has submitted a plan according to submission requirements under the NEZ policy. The boundaries of the proposed NEZ are State Highway 121 and Belknap and Yucca on the North,Trinity River on the West,Beach on the East,and the Trinity River and Lawnwood on the South(Attachment A). The Riverside NEZ has a population of 8,265 persons and an area of 1.41 square miles. The Riverside NEZ meets the following designation requirements under the City's NEZ policy: • Promotes affordable housing and economic development;and • Has an area of less than 1.5 sq. miles;and GALITY ASCAL NOTE ❑ CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS ❑ CITY POLICIES MANUAL CIT FO WO TEXAS e v COUNCIL PROPOSAL Date:817103 File Number: Subject:Consideration of the Designation of the Riverside Area as a Neighborhood Empowerment Zone 233 Proposed By:Ralph McCloud City Manager's Review: Page: City Attorney's Review: PAGE 2 OF 4 • Is at least 50%within the Central City and Community Development Block Grant(CDBG)eligible areas (The proposed Riverside NEZ area is 100%within the Central City and 100% within the CDBG eligible area);and • Is considered distressed based on census data on population, socio-demographic and other factors (According to the 2000 Census, the Riverside area has a median household income of$24,017 and an unemployment rate of 7.3%.);and • Meets criteria for Reinvestment Zone designation including the following: 1. The area is reasonably likely as a result of the designation to contribute to the retention or expansion of primary employment or to attract major investment in the zone that would be a benefit to the area and that would contribute to the economic development of the City;and 2. The area is substantially arresting and impairing the sound growth of the municipality creating the zone because of the presence of a substantial number of substandard, slum, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures. The plan submitted by URRC identified the specific development opportunities and strategies for the propos Riverside NEZ,as summarized below: U. Development Opportunities • Residential Development: According to the 2000 Census,the proposed Riverside NEZ is predominately a neighborhood with 63%owner-occupied housing units. The median owner-occupied value for homes is $29,965. Approximately 13% of the housing units are vacant and 84% of the housing units were built before 1960. According to Tarrant Appraisal District(TAD), there are approximately 472 vacant lots in the Riverside area. Opportunities exist for infill development on vacant lots and rehabilitation of existing properties. • Commercial Development: According to Tarrant Appraisal District(TAD),there are approximately 233 commercial properties in the Riverside area. There are commercial development opportunities along the State Highway 121, East 4d' Street, Beach, Riverside, and Sylvania corridors. URRC plans to purchase two existing commercial buildings to rehabilitate and lease them. There is a great opportunity to improve the commercial buildings at the intersection of Yucca, Belknap, and Beach. There are also other vacant commercial land and buildings throughout the proposed NEZ that provide redevelopment opportunities. M. Development Strategies Housing: • Market the NEZ incentives to prospective homeowners, investor-owners, and developers and current homeowners in the Riverside area. ❑ LEGALITY ❑ FISCAL NOTE ❑ CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS ❑ CITY POLICIES MANUAL CIT FO WO , TEXAS U o �. COUNCIL PROPOSAL Date:WIN File Number: Subject:Consideration of the Designation of the Riverside Area as a Neighborhood Empowerment Zone 233 Proposed By:Ralph McCloud City Manager's Review: Page: City Attorney's Review: j PAGE 3 OF 4 • Increase the rate of homeownership in the Riverside area to equal at least the national homeownership rate of 68%. o Identify vacant lots for foreclosure and conveyance from the City of Fort Worth. o Identify vacant lots for site acquisition from private sources. o Purchase/rehabilitate/resell existing homes. o Develop new homes on vacant lots. • Assist homebuyers in obtaining homebuyer's assistance. • Assist homeowners with upkeep of property. o Implement a home improvement program. o Implement a minor home repair program. o Refer homeowners to City housing programs such as Cowtown Brush Up. • Assist seniors and renters by providing rental housing. o Acquire land and build six duplexes for rent to seniors on La Salle Street. o Acquire land and build rental housing. o Acquire land and build a large senior housing development. Commercial: • Market the NEZ incentives to prospective developers and businesses operating in the Riverside area. • Provide neighborhood services to residents. o Acquire,rehabilitate,and lease a commercial building for office space. o Acquire,rehabilitate,and lease a vacant commercial building to a laundromat business. The approval of this proposal by the City Council authorizes the City Manager to prepare a resolution and ordinance for the designation of the Riverside area as a NEZ and Reinvestment Zone. LEGALITY: The Department of Law finds that this proposal is legal and that it is within the authority of the City Council. FISCAL NOTE: The Finance Director certifies that the approval will not require the appropriation of additional funds at this time. CITY MANAGER'S COMMENT: Creation of the Riverside NEZ through Council Proposal is consistent with the NEZ Administrative Procedures as approved by the City Council on October 3,2000 under M&C G-13030. :GALITY ISCAL NOTE ❑ CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS ❑ CITY POLICIES MANUAL CIT FO WO TEXAS o � o � e COUNCIL PROPOSAL Date: 8/7/� File Number: Subject: 233 Consideration of the Designation of the Riverside Area as a Neighborhood Empowerment Zone Proposed By: City Manager's Review: Page: Ralph McCloud City Attorney's Review: PAGE 4 OF 4 ffilmem bTon 4Cncember John Steve Ralph McCloud District 7 District 8 i APPRM CITYCf . ..:, AN Zai ❑ LEGALITY ❑ FISCAL NOTE ❑ CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS ❑ CITY POLICIES MANUAL 10 Riverside Proposed Neighborhood Empowerment Zone Fort Worth, Texas HONE SUCKLE HONEYS C E p Wm -4 M RIGOLD D r *AI z O 00 PRIMROSE 3 n _ -' PARRISH z V . ,n O -j� pt CLARY r, EELER S, WESTBROOK p D r D�A� d�• �`�„ i x y � 19 0W rS T DALFORD W z z o W AL OR m z - �z,I D _< M W JE F z r, X A 0 N FOX O m BIRD ur 0 r 0 � BIR O r m FAIN RD LILLIAN < z n cD� DELL rt' MA RICE DELL n, M RP Y A N AtitLi_ Rsp`` n EMBREY VIRGINIA MURPHY D mD P = C LEMOR D MC LEMORE MC LEMO E _ M z Q RACE RAC v � `s O m z m GpN AKERSz A LUMWOO P D r Q cn cn Q D W z s y;°F m J 0 r AMO Z O U) m z GR PEW y U 3 s Me ryFr. x n z NOBLE OBL NOB E z Z F ING OAKS m PI SB RG W ONWAY NIES m AUST GO D R m 2 R lJS C n Z BROWN a s GILMORE o z D •��Q s . � ,� W z "' _ 0 1ST Y '' `= HEN_UL r CHE AULT v 1S _ M W m W v 4 H O D J 4.H �w GAL EZ V m m jyfNylCx bD r" N . LA NWOOD D. 45 N FISHER m w 'NIS t;- R SALCE tfi m ,42T h: , 4rf LEY D FIN^ Y VANH R C TF .m :F lygy i die. -ei7 .�:CI .c GIPSCIN'.. y_ r SrcantnreCreek Legend .± Riverside Proposed NEZ 0 0.1 N 'es CFW Housing Dept.7/16/03