Development Challenges Development challenges are all but guaranteed to be prevalent throughout the planning, design, and implementation stages of these large and complex development projects. The challenges associated with these types of projects will need to be understood and mitigated on a project-by-project basis. Oftentimes, the lack of political will associated with large scale projects can stymie or outright halt progress. Political will is one of the most important ingredients in enabling these types of initiatives to happen. Overcoming resistance from competing special interest groups or direct opposition can be best combatted with quantitative analysis, most effectively when paired with public engagement and education to create awareness. Educating all parties on the trade-offs associated with the project allows for everyone to make decisions from the same perspective. Local regulations can often be interpreted as a barrier to project development as well. Most local zoning and subdivision regulations facilitate conventional, single-use, suburban-type development. However, zoning and subdivision regulations can also be flexible to encourage cluster development (nodes), mixed uses, narrower streets, urban residential densities and other development concepts. Working with innovative, experienced developers who seek to preserve and enhance the environment or provide walkable mixed- use developments is a targeted approach to mitigating traditional regulations. Having a shared vision in place between the Developer and City will curtail some risks related to the “by-the-book” approach which generally prevails over innovation, even if it hurts the environment. This will also allay NIMBY fears from the community at large and immediate neighbors. The lack of capacity and significant demands on public dollars will affect the City’s ability to pay for additional critical infrastructure (roads, utilities, etc.) and is a significant (and common barrier) to redevelopment in the East Berry Corridor. Certainly, proposing development in an area already flush with infrastructure is a benefit, but that’s not always the case. One way to mitigate that challenge is through the creation of a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) or Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) district, which Fort Worth has already identified through the TIF, which overlaps much of East Berry St, from IH-35W to US-287. The existing TIF is set to expire in 2028, and has already committed the majority of it’s funds, which presents a challenge if there is no remaining increment to commit. However, upon expiration of the TIF, the City will be able to utilize Chapter 380 Grants to incentivize development. TIF identifies under-performing real estate, helps to establish redevelopment plans, and works with private developers to implement these plans while reinvesting a portion of property tax revenues generated from new real estate development into the area to encourage the implementation of the redevelopment plan. TIF funds are generally utilized to offset the cost for improvements to the public realm, including public infrastructure and amenities. TIF funds may also be used to assist developers and investors with extraordinary costs related to project construction.
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