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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Trevor Dick, Director of Development Strategy and Facilitation
DATE: August 4, 2020
SUBJECT:
To approve a resolution calling for a Public Hearing on August 25th, 2020 to amend and expand the River Edge Redevelopment Zone, known as the Aurora River Zone. (COA - 20-0175 / KDWK-20.032-PZ/L - TD - Ward 3)
PURPOSE:
City staff will be bringing a proposal to amend the ordinance before the BZE Committee and ultimately the City Council, but in order to actually amend the ordinance staff will need to call for a public hearing. Additional information regarding the proposed changes will be included in the proposed ordinance that will be forthcoming.
BACKGROUND:
On March 11th, 2020, City Staff first brought this request to the BZE Committee for review and discussion. At that time, the original request was to expand the RERZ to capture one key redevelopment site. Since that meeting, a number of discussions have taken place, and new information was presented to City Staff that have resulted in a much improved request to expand the RERZ to include more than one additional property. By expanding the RERZ as now proposed with a very similar boundary to the City’s existing Neighborhood Redevelopment Strategy Area (NRSA) the RERZ zone would capture several key redevelopment sites on both sides of the river and in proximity to the Downtown.
December 12, 2006, the City Council of the City of Aurora approved Ordinance O06-131 entitled “An Ordinance Establishing a River Edge Redevelopment Zone (RERZ) To Be Known As the “Aurora River Zone”. Aurora was the first municipality to be included as part of the state legislation enacting the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Act, Public Act 94-102. Other communities such as Elgin, Rockford and East St. Louis joined Aurora as a certified RERZ. If successful, this will be the second time that the RERZ boundary was expanded. In September 2014 (Ordinance 014-061) the City of Aurora worked with the State of Illinois to expand the boundaries of the original 2006 RERZ to capture additional properties.
DISCUSSION:
The amendment to add territory is being sought because once the property is incorporated within the Aurora RERZ, it will be eligible for not only the 20% Federal Tax Credit but also the 25% IL Tax Credit.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The RERZ is currently being administered by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, with assistance in the marketing of these programs being provided in part by Invest Aurora. There should be no negative impacts on other City departments and divisions as a result of the expansion of the RERZ.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff recommends that the resolution calling for a public hearing on August 25th, 2020 be approved and that the public hearing be held on that date.
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit 1-Proposed River Edge Redevelopment Zone Expansion Map
Exhibit 2-Existing RERZ Legal Description
Exhibit 3-Legal Description_RERZ Proposed Northeast Quadrant
Exhibit 4-Legal Description_RERZ Proposed Southeast Quadrant
Exhibit 5-Legal Description_RERZ Proposed West Quadrant
Exhibit 6-Legal Description_RERZ Combined
cc: Building, Zoning and Economic Development (BZE) Committee
Alderman Michael B. Saville, Chairperson
Alderman Sherman Jenkins, Vice Chairperson
Alderman Carl Franco
Alderman Robert J. O’Connor
Alderwoman Juany Garza
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution Initiating a Public Hearing to Amend and Expand the River Edge Redevelopment Zone, Known as the Aurora River Zone.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois General Assembly on July 12, 2006 enacted the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Act, Public Act 94-1021 (hereinafter "the Act"); and
WHEREAS, in the Act, the Illinois General Assembly found and declared that municipalities adjacent to or surrounding river areas often lack critical tools to safely revive and redevelop environmentally challenged properties, and that many of these environmentally challenged properties were former industrial areas that now, subject to appropriate environmental remediation, would be ideal for other economically productive uses and the redevelopment of which will stimulate economic revitalization and create jobs in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, on December 12, 2006, the City Council of the City of Aurora approved Ordinance O06-131 entitled "An Ordinance Establishing A River Edge Redevelopment Zone To Be Known As The "Aurora River Zone" In The City Of Aurora, Illinois" in accordance with the Act, and has successfully implemented projects that resulted in the redevelopment of challenged properties located in the Aurora River Zone; and
WHEREAS, On October 28, 2014, The City Council of Aurora approved Ordinance O14-061 entitled “An Ordinance Amending Ordinance O06-131 Approving an Expansion at the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Known as the “Aurora River Zone” in the City of Aurora, Following Notice and Public Hearing in Connection Therewith.” (See Exhibit “A” for legal description of the Aurora River Zone defined by O14-061).
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora is considering the addition of certain property within its corporate limits to the Aurora River Zone, such property is described further in Section Four; and
WHEREAS, the RERZ expansion area meets the "environmentally impaired" eligibility criteria as defined by the River Edge Zone Act with the annexation area's immediate proximity to the environmentally distressed conditions of the existing RERZ, which has had successful environmental clean-up projects; and
WHEREAS, the expansion would capture several challenging sites and buildings outside of the current zone; and
WHEREAS, the potential adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of older, vacant structures will create new jobs and business opportunities, will beautify historic but run-down buildings, and finally, will boost community pride and sentiment by way of promoting the city's past; and
WHEREAS, prior to the adoption of said ordinance expanding the Aurora River Zone the Act requires a public hearing be held within the Aurora River Zone, for the purpose of public input and comment on the proposed expansion of the zone..
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, that the City Council of the City of Aurora hereby authorizes the City Council to hold all necessary public hearings regarding the proposed amendment to expand the River Edge Redevelopment Zone, known as the Aurora River Zone.