DEPARTMENT: Center City Development & Operations
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Lori Houston
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
SUBJECT:
Vacant and Underutilized Buildings Policy
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes a Vacant Building Registration Pilot Program and approves an Interlocal Agreement between the City of San Antonio, Bexar County and the San Antonio Independent School District.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Vacant and underutilized properties present a number of challenges for the revitalization of our center city and its neighborhoods. These properties can lead to health and safety hazards, disinvestment, and a decrease in the property values of surrounding properties. They can also hinder economic development and job creation, and/or diminish the overall quality of life of the community and neighborhoods.
Several reports and studies including the Downtown Strategic Framework Plan, the Center City Implementation Plan, the Strategic Historic Preservation Plan, and others have identified vacant and underutilized properties as a major challenge for the redevelopment of the city.
In order to address the challenges that these properties present, a Vacant and Underutilized Buildings Taskforce comprised of City staff was formed for the purpose of creating a policy to facilitate the removal of blight and redevelopment of vacant buildings within the center city and its surrounding neighborhoods.
The four main goals of the Taskforce are:
1. Make recommendations regarding policy changes, enforcement and City Code amendments, if required, to better address the problem of vacant and substandard buildings downtown and overcome obstacles for reuse.
2. Spur the rehabilitation and re-use of vacant/blighted real estate downtown to encourage economic development and downtown revitalization.
3. Create a safer environment in our center city and its surrounding neighborhoods.
4. Create a higher level of accountability for property owners to ...
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