Issue
Financing and road work for the riverfront development and Ferris wheel in Manchester.
City Council
Route 65, built in the 1960s, divides Manchester and Chateau and gutted the commercial core along Beaver Avenue. On June 3, council advanced $750,000 more for study and early design work on the avenue. Part of the Esplanade development's effort to reconnect the neighborhoods, the redesign would make the road two-way. The full $1 million is reimbursable with federal funds.
City Council
A Manchester urban farm that has grown 12,000 pounds of food for residents since 2020 could lose its lot. Ebony Lunsford-Evans wants to buy the lot, and her City lease expires in July. It's in a zone earmarked for affordable housing near the Esplanade development. On May 19, 23 people spoke for her, but Council took no action because it wasn't on the agenda.
City Council
Most new tax revenue from a planned North Side development would be reinvested on-site and in Manchester. Right now, the area brings in $84,000 a year in taxes, and that's projected to reach $8 million after the project. Council gave preliminary approval to creating the tax financing district, with a final vote next Tuesday. Future apartments and shops will still need separate approvals.
City Council
The North Side's Manchester and Chateau neighborhoods could get apartments, shops, a hotel, and a Ferris wheel. The Phase 1 plan uses a financing district that taps future tax revenue for development near transit. After a public hearing, council will hold a preliminary vote on Feb. 19. County Council and the school board must also sign off.