Latest news with #TIRZ
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
El Paso City Council to discuss I-10 Deck Plaza funding, grocery affordability plan
The city of El Paso is once again on the hunt for money to fund the ambitious Downtown I-10 Deck Plaza project. During its meeting Tuesday, April 15, the El Paso City Council will hear a report from City Manager Dionne Mack on potential federal, state and local funding sources for the design and construction of the Deck Plaza. The search for funding comes as the city lost out on two potential grants that the City Council agreed to spend $750,000 to apply for. Additionally, the City Council will "request a formally adopted position statement from the (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) #5 board about potential boundary expansion and the use of TIRZ #5 funds for Deck Plaza design and/or construction activities," according to documents accompanying Tuesday's agenda. While city leaders have insisted that the Deck Plaza will not be put on the back of El Paso taxpayers, it's unclear how the city — already more than $30 million short of what's needed to address city roads — will come up with the hundreds of millions of dollars that will be required for the project. "The Deck Plaza is expected to require a combination of local, state and federal resources for design, construction and operations," the agenda document stated. "The ratios of funding will be significantly impacted by the current timeline for I-10 Downtown reconstruction, which is expected to begin in 2026." The City Council will also hear a plan to increase the threshold for placing budget transfers, contracts, bids, requests for proposals or qualifications on the City Council agenda. In 2004, the City Council approved placing such items on the regular agenda if the funds involved topped $500,000 —under the latest proposal, that number would be increased to $1.5 million. "About 54% of purchasing items fall under this threshold," a document attached to the agenda item states, "if this threshold increase is approved, it will save staff time when attending City Council meetings." The move comes after the City Council rejected a plan to extend bond oversight. Approval of the item would mean over half of city purchasing items are never included on a City Council agenda and therefore more difficult for the public to view. The City Council will also hear a plan from West-Central city Rep. Josh Acevedo to make discount pricing at El Paso grocery stores accessible to all customers. Acevedo's item calls for the city manager and city attorney to draft and present an ordinance within 120 days to require retail grocery stores "to offer fair access to discount pricing to all consumers, regardless of their access to or familiarity with digital technology." The proposal would require grocery stores in El Paso that offer digital coupons or discounts online, via text message or through digital applications to make such discounts available to all customers in the form of physical coupons. "My office has spoken to community members who maintain that a digital divide negatively impacts a significant portion of El Paso residents with regard to food discounts and access to healthy food options," Acevedo wrote in the agenda document. Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@ This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso City Council to mull Deck Plaza funds, grocery prices
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Austin seeks public input on $12.5M in Seaholm area upgrades
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The city of Austin has more than $12 million earmarked for improvements in downtown's Seaholm area — and is seeking public feedback on how to spend portions of those dollars. The city established a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) in the Seaholm District neighborhood back in 2008, Alex Payson, Austin Transportation and Public Works' capital improvement program manager, told the city's Downtown Commission Wednesday one project initially outlined was a pedestrian and bicycle underpass beneath a roadway at Bowie Street. City leaders attempted to reach an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad for that project, but it stalled out. Instead, when council closed the TIRZ in December 2023, city officials reallocated $12.5 million from the TIRZ to the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department for five projects that would help achieve similar goals as the Bowie Street underpass intended. Those five projects include: Cesar Chavez Street shared-use path connecting Sandra Muraida Way to San Antonio Street: $1.3 million Improved crossing safety via dynamic signs at Cesar Chavez Street and West Avenue, Walter Seaholm Drive: $200,000 Third Street and Power Plant Drive mobility improvements: $1 million Northern Shoal Creek trail alignment: $5 million East-west crossings of Shoal Creek at Third Street: $5 million The beefiest project discussed with the Downtown Commission were the mobility improvements at Third Street and Power Plant Drive. Transportation officials are reviewing four alternative design options for multimodal improvements in the corridor — with some featuring a possible pedestrian plaza. The first design consideration proposes closing Power Plant Drive and upgrading ramps while installing concrete and sod to develop a plaza for pedestrians and cyclists. Under this proposal, parking on Third Street would be maintained. Payson said staff have noticed a wide variety of conflicts in this area, particular from the two-way traffic on Third Street and one-way traffic on Power Plant Drive. Under this proposal, city officials would close Power Plant Drive and improve ramps while installing a pedestrian plaza, similar to the first alternative. Parking under this version would also be retained. However, unlike Alternative 1, this option would feature the installation of back-angle parking on the south curb of Third Street, which would allow city officials to recapture approximately 10 parking spaces compared to the first alternative — albeit resulting in a narrower pedestrian plaza as a result. With this alternative, Power Plant Drive would remain open but crews would expand the center median running between Third Street and Power Plant Drive. The widened median would double as an urban trail dividing the two roadways. Parking would be maintained along Third Street, with the possibility of ramp improvements. It would also take parking from the north curb of Power Plant Drive for a shared-use path and green space for east-west movement. Alternative 4 would also close Power Plant Drive and would upgrade ramps and install concrete and pod to develop a multimodal plaza, as well as add a delivery zone and ADA-parking area with ramp access. Payson said this design is similar to the first two options, but added the main difference is the south curb on Third Street would transform into a commercial delivery zone, taking four spaces from the curb and reallocating them. Work is currently underway on the Cesar Chavez Street shared-use path and the dynamic signs. Construction on the shared-use path began in October and is expected to wrap in late spring, while the dynamic signs should be delivered for installation in the coming weeks. For the Third Street and West Avenue improvements, city officials are collecting public feedback through March 23 via a community survey. A pop-up event is also scheduled for March 1 from 10 a.m. to noon at Third Street and West Avenue. Following that, transportation leaders will finalize design and construction plans for the Third Street and West Avenue enhancements. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
