Minutes 10/15/1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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571 '~' October15, 1996 D. Adoption of an ordinaince appropriating the 1997 Action Plan Funds of $2,226,000 in CommUnity DevelOpment Block Grant Funds; $818,000 in 1997 HOME funds; $400,000 in 1997 Program Income Funds; and the 1997 Emergency Shelter Grant of $58,000 for a total of $3,502,000. "At your October 8, 1996 meeting, you held a public hearing with the Commissioners of the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority on the proposed 1997 Action Plan. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development regulations require the City to develop a three year Consolidated Plan and an annual Action Plan which encompasses HUD's three community planning and development programs: the Community Development Block Grant, HOME, and Emergency Grant Shelter Programs. Consequently, you will be asked to act on all three of these elements. The total resources anticipated to be available to the City for 1997 are $4,002,000. Ofthis amount, $2,226,000 represents the City's 1997 Community Development Block Grant Entitlement; $500,000 is reprogrammed from the 1995 Community Development Program; $400,000 is anticipated program income from land sales and repayment of principal and interest generated from the rehabilitation loan program; $58,000 represents the City's Emergency Shelter Grant Program allocation; and $818,000 is the HOME Program allocation. Among the recommended activities is continuation of the acquisition of vacant and abandoned properties from willing sellers under the Opportunities Acquisition category designed for specific designated areas of the City. This program is highly successful and enables us to assemble properties at minimal cost (no relocation and no condemnations) and to make them available for new construction or rehabilitation. Funding is also recommended for the final loan repayment to the Industrial Development Authority for the rehabilitation of the Industrial Development Authority for the rehabilitation of the former Famous building which now houses the Tidewater Community College Visual Arts Center. Funding is proposed to assemble bi ighted properties in the block bounded by Chestnut, County, Apple, and King Streets. Once assembled, this area is to be utilized for the development of approximately 100 units of privately owned housing for senior citizens. Funds are also proposed to assemble property in the 1100 block of King Street. Acquisition of these properties will provide land for future residential development consistent with the goals and objectives of the Vision 2005 Plan and the Authority's proposed initiatives in conjunction with the Ida Barbour revitalization program. This activity will result in the acquisition of 14 properties that generate less than $2,900 in yearly real estate taxes and will allow us renewed opportunities to assemble highly marketable properties in this area of the City in support of the Vision 2005 Plan. This activity will result in the relocation of approximately 14 tenants and 2 homeowners. Additionally, in the Crawford Project, funding is proposed to acquire two properties in the 600 block of London Boulevard and to upgrade the public utilities and infrastructure in this area. In the Hattonsville Redevelopment Project, funds are proposed for the acquisition of one unimproved parcel in the 3' 00 block of Ballard Avenue. This small site will be combined with adjacent Authority owned land and be made available for future small business development. In the Park View community, funding is proposed to extend Harrell Street from Webster Avenue to Parkview Avenue to facilitate new residential developments. A new initiative included in the 1997 proposed Community Development Action Plan is the upgrading of Elm Avenue between County Street and London Boulevard. This proposal is consistent with the City"s Vision 2005 Plan for that area. Again this year, funding is recommended to provide continuation of the rehabilitation activities under the City's HOME Care Program and to continue Economic Development activities.