Cities Tackling Blight and Rethinking Infrastructure

Hundreds of dilapidated properties across the U.S. are being given another look by city officials. Leaders want to attract construction jobs and developers to give life to blighted areas.  Detroit, Camden, Dallas and Memphis are each trying to launch unique partnerships with stakeholders, including the University of Memphis Law School. Multi-year tax abatements, upgraded utility infrastructure and the preservation of structurally sound buildings in historic areas are among the issues being discussed as redevelopment gets underway.   One significant challenge: Locating the owners of the properties who are behind in taxes and not easy to track down.

 

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/blight-fight-teardown-houses-camden-detroit