The Jefferson City Council continues to make changes to its Urban Renewal Area.

The Council approved at their last meeting in March to amend the current Urban Renewal Area to include one additional block. The businesses located there include Jefferson Telecom, Jefferson Elks Lodge and the former Jefferson Veterinary Clinic building. City Administrator Mike Palmer describes why the Council approved the amendment.

“The reason is the former vets building was purchased and they like to take advantage of the $150,000 of facade improvement program that’s allowed within the Urban Renewal District or use TIF (tax increment financing) to do that. Those repairs can happen on that building itself.”

Additional funding might be on the way for buildings within the Urban Renewal Area to further stretch their repair dollars. The Council is considering raising the limit of $150,000 of available TIF funds. Palmer says the Council tabled approval of a roof replacement bid of $217,000 at 100 East State Street, the former Angie’s Teagarden building. Currently the City owns the building and Palmer points out the best option to cover the expenses would be to amend the Urban Renewal Area to provide for more TIF dollars.

“We established the $150,000 back in 2016. It was just kind of a general estimate and we thought that $150,000 would cover these building repairs. We quickly learned that $150,000 doesn’t go very far in these buildings. We’ve made it work but this is a case where we took the bid and it finally went well over the limit. We’re kind of forced to make that change now.”

Palmer says the TIF funds for the Urban Renewal Area can be used by any of the buildings, not just city-owned buildings, to make exterior repairs.