Change is on the horizon for North Bend residents following the school board's decisive vote to amend the city's Urban Renewal Plan. The recent 5-2 approval ushers in $4 million of federal funding and signals the start of an ambitious downtown workforce housing initiative. Detailed in an August 11 announcement by the North Bend Urban Renewal Agency, the plan also includes an unexpected bonus—a tax cut for the city's property owners.
The revised plan means that the Urban Renewal Agency will permanently drop its special levy, a separate charge on tax bills, allowing residents to potentially keep more their hard-earned money. "This isn’t a new tax. It’s not a tax increase. It’s a tax cut, plain and simple," Executive Director David Milliron told North Bend’s official website. Continuing to fund urban renewal projects through tax increment financing allows the Agency to capture growth in assessed property values over time without needing to increase tax rates.
The school board's decision has effectively saved the federal funding for the workforce housing project, which will replace the dilapidated Coos County Courthouse Annex. Targeting essential community professionals such as educators and healthcare workers, the project is seen as a critical step in bolstering the local community. "This housing will allow essential workers to live in the community they serve," Milliron emphasized on North Bend’s official website.
Additionally, the development is expected to attract new residents and potentially boost student numbers, with possible state funding increases of $420,000 to $735,000 annually for the local schools. This is due to Oregon’s enrollment-based school funding structure. "Housing brings families, families bring students, and students bring state support," Milliron said in the statement released on the city’s website.
The school board's green light also included approval for a public facility that could become home to workforce development programs or other services. The project, still in the early stages, doesn’t yet have a determined cost for the district. "This vote preserves an opportunity for partnership without committing district resources," further explained Milliron on North Bend’s official website.
Gratitude was extended to the Ford Family Foundation for their educational efforts, providing elected and appointed officials across Coos County with important economic development and urban renewal training, resulting in informed decision-making for the community’s betterment.
With the school board's consent secured, the North Bend Urban Renewal Agency is scheduled to kick off the demolition of the courthouse annex in less than 18 months, initiating phased construction afterward. "This is what responsible local investment looks like," Milliron said on North Bend’s official website, nodding to the merged vision of community development that satisfies taxpayers and injects life into downtown North Bend.
