About the RDA

RDA

What We Do

OUR MISSION + VALUES
We strengthen neighborhoods and business districts to improve livability, create economic opportunity, and foster authentic, equitable communities, serving as a catalyst for strategic development projects that enhance the City’s housing opportunities, commercial vitality, public spaces, and environmental sustainability.
We foster a set of core values that collectively support the revitalization of Salt Lake City’s communities:

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY // We invest in the long-term prosperity and growth of our local economy.

EQUITY + INCLUSION // We prioritize people-focused projects and programs that encourage everyone to participate in and benefit from development decisions that shape their communities.

NEIGHBORHOOD VIBRANCY // We cultivate distinct and livable built environments that are contextually sensitive, resilient, connected, and sustainable.

WHAT IS A REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY?
A redevelopment agency, often called an “RDA,” is an entity used by local government to implement the development goals of communities, with the added benefit of increasing the area’s/city’s tax base.
RDAs assist communities in addressing three types of development issues:
  • Redevelopment–Encourage private and public investment in areas that are experiencing disinvestment or neglect.
  • Housing Development–Increase the amount and variety of housing that meets the unique needs of neighborhoods.
  • Economic Development–Assist in development that yields additional job opportunities in the community.
WHY ARE RDAS USED?
Traditionally, RDAs have been established by cities as urban areas grow older and begin to experience deterioration. These conditions result in a decrease in the assessed property value, leading to reduced property tax collections for cities and all other taxing entities, such as school districts, counties, libraries, and public utilities.
This decrease in tax base drives further disinvestment that, in turn, promotes a cycle of degeneration. RDAs intervene to break this cycle by:
  • Facilitating redevelopment of underutilized property through acquisition, clearance, re-planning, and/or sale;
  • Investing in core infrastructure, such as utilities, streets, lighting, and/or curbs/sidewalks; and
  • Providing gap financing in the form of loans, reimbursements, and property discounts to encourage private investment.
The RDA invests in projects and programs that are designed to spur additional growth, allowing disinvested areas to be reestablished as livable, economically productive centers for business and social activity.
GOV

Governance

The RDA Board of Directors (Board) is comprised of the seven members of the City Council of Salt Lake City. The Board is given policy-making authority for the RDA, while the Mayor serves as the Executive Director. The Redevelopment Advisory Committee (RAC) advises the Board on RDA policy.

 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mayor Erin Mendenhall

DIRECTOR

Danny Walz

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Cara Lindsley

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Alejandro Puy, Chair

Dan Dugan, Vice Chair

Director

Darin Mano, Director

Victoria Petro, Director

Ana Valdemoros, Director

Chris Wharton, Director

Sarah Young, Director

 

REDEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Brian Doughty, Chair

Mojdeh Sakaki, Vice Chair

Rosa Bandeirinha

Jason Head

Mark Isaac

Nicholas Peterson

Baxter Reecer

Amy Rowland

 

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Danny Walz, Redevelopment Agency

Blake Thomas, Community and Neighborhoods

Peter Makowski, Department of Economic Development

Tony Milner, Housing Stability

Mary Beth Thompson, Finance

Amy Rowland, RAC Member

Baxter Reecer, RAC Member

FIN

Finances

FUNDING: TAX INCREMENT

The financial engine that drives an RDA’s revitalization efforts is tax increment financing. Tax increment is the increase (or “increment”) in the property taxes generated within a project area, over and above property taxes generated in that same area prior to the establishment of the RDA project area. The establishment of a project area and the collection of tax increment funds must be approved by the RDA Board of Directors and the local taxing entities (school district, library, water districts, county, etc.).

The tax increment generated in a project area is reinvested into that same project area, thus recycling the funds for a specified period of time, usually 20-25 years, after which the tax increment will again be available to the local taxing entities. During the life of the project area, the taxing entities continue to receive the same amount of property taxes that they received prior to the establishment of the project area, along with any share of the increment they may have negotiated with the RDA.

Improved redevelopment project areas contribute to the overall health and vitality of the city by reversing the negative effects of blight, while increasing the tax base from which the taxing entities draw their funds. In Salt Lake City, RDA project areas’ tax bases have historically grown at twice the rate of surrounding areas that are not designated as project areas.

RDA

Leadership + Staff

Director
Deputy Director
Financial Analyst
Project Coordinator
Comm/Outreach Mngr.
Comm/Outreach Coord.
Project Manager
Data Manager
Office Facilitator
Project Coordinator
Special Projects Asst.
Senior Project Manager
Senior Project Manager
Senior Project Manager
Property Manager
Office Manager
Project Manager
Senior Project Manager
Project Manager