Council May Expand Redevelopment Zone

The Ventura City Council on Monday will consider amending the boundaries of the downtown redevelopment zone--more than doubling its size to include the Ventura Pier and most of the city’s commercial center.

Ventura officials want to expand the redevelopment zone because they do not have enough money in the current area to accomplish their goal of sprucing it up. The current area is bounded roughly by Palm Street on the east, the Ventura River on the west, the Southern Pacific railroad tracks on the south and Poli Street on the north.

By enlarging the area, the city would receive more tax money, which it hopes to use to revive downtown by luring new businesses and condemning fading stores and other private property to eliminate blight. The redevelopment zone would be bounded roughly by Crimea Street on the east, the Ventura River on the west, the Southern Pacific tracks or the beach on the south and Church Street and West Park Row Avenue on the north.

The amended redevelopment zone would also include the Ventura Pier, which would allow the city to use redevelopment money to fix the wave-damaged structure.

Council members have said they hope to give downtown Ventura a major make-over in years to come, adding upscale shops, condominiums and townhouses.

The City Council hired a consultant in July to study enlarging the downtown redevelopment zone or starting a new redevelopment area. The consultant, Katz Hollis, said this month that both plans were feasible, but enlarging the existing redevelopment zone was the better idea.

Council members on Monday will also consider hiring Katz Hollis, a redevelopment specialist, for up to $63,200 to assist them in proceeding with the downtown redevelopment amendment.