CRA back in the mix

NORWALK — The city's community reinvestment area, also known as a CRA, is back in the spotlight. Norwalk Mayor Dave Light was set to introduce a new version of the controversial proposal at Tuesday's city council meeting, which refers to an economic development tool that provides real property tax exemptions for property owners who renovate existing or construct new buildings, according to the Ohio Department of Development. The city originally unveiled a similar plan early in 2023, which met with community pushback before eventually being tabled later that same year. The Norwalk Schools board was one of the most vocal opponents to the plan in 2023. At the time, administrators in the school district voiced opposition to the plan. But the CRA proposal is now in play as both county commissioners and members of the school board reach a potential conclusion on the ongoing land deal. The land deal — which involves discussions to sell/swap acres of land on Shady Lane Drive — is tied to a proposed Norwalk Schools project that involves the construction of an entirely new elementary/middle, or pre-K-8, school designed to have an "open campus" with nearby Norwalk High School. Norwalk Schools has secured a public bond that pays approximately $48 million for the construction, with the state funding the rest of the nearly $100 million project, which could be the largest single construction project in city history. One of the conditions put in place by the Huron County commissioners for the sale of property to the school board for the construction of a new building was that the school board would "engage in meaningful negotiations with the city of Norwalk for a workable CRA for both parties." As of press time, the position of the school board on the new CRA proposal is not known. According to a draft of the resolution, the name of the "Downtown Community Reinvestment Area," as it was originally proposed, would now be known as the "Norwalk Community Reinvestment Area," and will also encompass the entirety of the city instead of just the downtown. According to the resolution, tax abatement incentives would include: • A 75%, ten-year abatement for remodeling of residential buildings. • A 75%, ten-year abatement for new residential construction. • A 75%, up to ten-year abatement for commercial and industrial remodeling and new construction. The resolution also renames the city's zoning officer as the housing officer. Editor's note: More details on the CRA proposal will be available following Tuesday's meeting. Check back in the Reflector later this week for more.