SALEM — Salem officials are taking another look at how the city could use urban renewal money to shape future development north of downtown, a stretch of the city that could become more important as Salem looks for new housing, business activity and better public access near the Willamette River.
The Salem Urban Renewal Agency held a work session May 18 at Loucks Auditorium to discuss a North Waterfront Urban Renewal Area update. The discussion was not a final vote on a specific project, but it signals the city’s continued interest in using urban renewal as a tool to prepare land for redevelopment and guide growth in an area near downtown. The city calendar listed the meeting as the “Urban Renewal Agency Work Session – North Waterfront URA Update.”
City materials describe urban renewal as a way to invest in specific parts of Salem. The Urban Renewal Agency is “responsible for governing Salem’s seven urban renewal areas,” and provides direction for projects and programs meant to “invest in and improve specific geographic areas of the city.” In Salem, the agency board is made up of the mayor and City Council, with the mayor serving as chair…