SCOPE
To inform all the Communities of the County of Bucks about the Redevelopment Authority's objectives, mission and vision and to clarify how the Authority is funded and the advantages available to these Communities through the special powers of the Authority in eliminating blighted properties and revitalizing these underused or vacant areas.
GENERAL
The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks strives to instill community development by establishing communities that shall become outstanding assets through comprehensive approaches that coordinate housing rehabilitation, economic development and the opportunity of family sustaining employment in the County of Bucks.
HISTORY
Since its creation in 1962, the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority has eliminated blight and provided affordable housing to County residents. We have improved more than 1700 homes for Bucks County homeowners and have improved hundreds of rental properties for the County's low and moderate-income residents. Additionally, the Authority has been instrumental in the rehabilitation and reuse of industrial and commercial abandoned sites all over Bucks County.
Redevelopment Authority's operate in situations where the private sector and/or local governments cannot effectively perform. The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks is empowered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through Act 385, more commonly known as the "Urban Redevelopment Law". The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the Act on May 25, 1945.
Although the Redevelopment Authority is an arm of our local Bucks County government, it is not funded directly by county tax dollars, but rather is funded through the administration of our projects and programs. The Redevelopment Authority serves all of Bucks County, which has a population of more than 600,000 persons living in 31 townships and 23 boroughs.
The Authority operates very similar to a small business by obtaining funds for operation costs through the development and implementation of specific projects. The similarity ceases at that point as the Authority only operates on blighted, deteriorated or abandoned properties in cooperation with the local, county, state and federal governmental organization having jurisdiction or at the invitation of a Bucks County Property Owner.
Many of the areas of Lower Bucks County have been in a state of extreme transition and the amount of job loss in Bucks County has been significant in the past. Some twelve to fourteen thousand jobs have been eliminated between the Naval Air Warfare Center, in Warminster Township closing and U.S. Steel downsizing and closing its hot end steel making in Falls Township, as well as numerous other industries that continued to be negatively affected by these conditions. Meanwhile, a substantial number of deteriorating buildings, both industrial and residential, have become vacant and blighted providing a need to be removed or rehabilitated.
COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
It is now desirable to link housing rehabilitation with Economic Development initiatives in the same general areas, providing a strong base for home-ownership and proper maintenance of our existing housing stock.
Clearly, one of the most significant problems facing our communities is the issue of employment, or providing meaningful, family sustaining jobs through the development of new and the expansion of existing businesses in the County of Bucks. This will entail cultivating businesses, ensuring they are properly funded with adequate managerial support in key positions, and that they are prepared for economic downturns with the ability to adjust to market changes.
It is essential to recognize that continuing to provide employment is the major problem ahead for Bucks County. With corporations downsizing, laying off employees, restructuring by utilizing computers and robot technology, along with a strategy to avoid payment of benefits utilizing part-time help, employment opportunities that provide family sustaining wages are becoming scarce.
The Authority endorses aggressive economic development programs that offer economic incentives for industry to remain in the County, to expand and to attract new businesses to our area. A mix of manufacturing, service and high-tech employment opportunities are imperative as are jobs, which encourage personal growth and advancement.
The County, Townships, Boroughs and local governmental agencies must work hand in hand with the private sector to build incentives to keep existing business and attract new business. Also important are infrastructure improvements and variable interest rate financing during start up and initial operation. The private lending sector needs to be encouraged to join in this effort of supplying capital to existing and new businesses using methods that encourage job retention and employment growth.
Public funds should be used to leverage private dollars to their greatest advantage by involving the participation of all segments of the community including political leadership, community groups, environmental groups, non-profit organizations, schools and institutions to revitalize the economy of Bucks County.
COOPERATION
Cooperation by local agencies and municipalities, including our own, is far too often hampered by regulations which, although well meaning, are inefficient and often require far too much of the project dollars to be spent on insignificant administration, engineering, consulting and legal costs.
Act 385 "The Urban Redevelopment Law", section 9(c) lists cooperation as a power of the Authority. The dictionary defines cooperation as "an association for mutual benefit". A cooperative is the engagement of joint economic activity operated for the mutual benefit of those organizations involved.
Before the municipality embarks on a project it should assure that the governing body as well as the local community is receptive. This ensures a timely conclusion to the project. The perfect project occurs when all parties included feel they benefited the most, an objective that can be reasonably attained.
At the beginning of the project, a "COOPERATION AGREEMENT" is drawn up between the Municipality and the Redevelopment Authority by their respective solicitors and their governing bodies. It should be simple and to the point, containing a brief scope of the project and a direction for the project to follow, including where the funding will be obtained and how any project income will be handled. The Redevelopment Authority may also enter into a cooperation agreement with property owners or developers, providing the project or projects are being redeveloped in accordance with local and national codes.
Before the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks becomes involved in a project, either a property owner or Municipality or the County of Bucks must invite us to assist on a project. Once invited a Cooperation Agreement must be drawn up in accordance with information contained herein above.
Cooperation is needed at all levels, most importantly the cooperation of the local governmental body, the planning commission, the building code officials, developer, property owner, and the community need to be user friendly for the dedicated redevelopment area to be completed successfully and expeditiously.
The Redevelopment Authority has enjoyed remarkable success developing partnerships between multi-jurisdictions, State and Federal Agencies including the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, PA Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Community and Economic Development as well as several foundation groups. These partnerships along with a strong position of support from the Bucks County Legislatures has provided millions of dollars in grants and loans for projects administered by the Authority for communities all over the County of Bucks.
CONCLUSION
A Redevelopment Authority operating within an established redevelopment project area has significant powers that are not available to municipality-operated entities. These relate to the ability to negotiate for the lowest cost of demolition or site improvements rather than to simply accept the low bid or to negotiate for the selection of a developer based on the merits of a proposal rather than the high bid for the property.
These broad powers are especially important in project areas for contracting infrastructure and the anticipated acquisition of properties for the purpose of eliminating blight, remediating environmental problems and obtaining a redeveloper to work in accordance with an approved local Municipal plan.
The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks is an action-oriented agency with significant experience in acquiring property amicably or utilizing its powers of eminent domain and is ideally suited to manage properties on an interim basis.
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