Redevelopment Areas in Action: Sanford, NC

<p>In a recent post, Tyler Mulligan provided an overview of how local governments can use an Urban Redevelopment Area to attract private investment. This post will describe an example from Sanford, NC.</p> <p>In the early 2000s, the City of Sanford found itself in a position common to many other small towns in North Carolina. Concerted efforts to revitalize downtown had had a positive impact in turning around its historic downtown but there was still a long way to go. The redevelopment of old railroad depot in the heart of downtown in 2001 had been one major success. The redeveloped Depot Park was poised to be a hub of communal and cultural activity, home to outdoor concerts and movies in the summer and a museum dedicated to the railroad history of the area. Down the road, the Temple Theatre, a performing arts center, was a major tourist attraction. There were several popular restaurants downtown. Despite these coups, however, Sanford’s downtown still hadn’t reached its tipping point. The area surrounding Depot Park was full of vacant, dilapidated buildings. Many of these buildings were visible from the park, detracting from the redevelopment of that site. Additionally, parking was a major problem for visitors to downtown, potentially stifling the success of the remaining businesses.</p> <p>In order to further the redevelopment of downtown and remedy these issues, the City of Sanford set about using the Urban Redevelopment Area designation in 2004. As outlined in earlier blog posts, an Urban Redevelopment Area (URA) is a state designation that allows municipalities to improve [...]</p>