Downtown development plan moves toward implementation options; consultants outline DDA funding tools

Consultants from Logan Simpson and Progressive Urban Management Associates (PUMA) presented results from the first phase of outreach on the downtown development plan to the joint meeting of the Laramie City Council and Planning Commission on April 14, and outlined potential implementation pathways including a funded Downtown Development Authority (DDA).

Melissa Ruth (Logan Simpson) summarized engagement: mailers and email to property owners and businesses, in‑person workshops and a Forge Laramie interactive exhibit, and a questionnaire that drew roughly 249 responses. Recurring priorities included supporting local businesses, preserving historic character and public art, better streetscapes and wayfinding, and parking management. Ruth said some respondents also identified upper‑story housing and addressing underutilized buildings as priorities.

Amanda Kinnard (PUMA) described the three funding options the consultants presented to downtown stakeholders: (1) continue without a dedicated funding mechanism, (2) establish a DDA mill levy (Wyoming statute allows up to 30 mills on nonresidential property billed annually and renewed every four years, requiring council approval plus a district property‑owner vote), or (3) use a performance‑based tax increment financing (TIF) mechanism that captures growth in the city portion of property tax (and municipal sales tax if authorized) above a base for up to 25 years. Kinnard emphasized the differences from Colorado practice: Wyoming's TIF is constrained to the city portion of certain tax streams and thus may generate less increment than in other states.

Council and commission members discussed district boundaries, which properties or corridors should be included, the need for clear project lists before asking property owners to approve new assessments, and precedent examples (Cheyenne and Casper use mill levies in Wyoming; Colorado DDAs more often leverage TIF). Several speakers warned that mixed‑use property owners may feel the assessment is inequitable if residential portions are exempt while nonresidential portions are taxed.

Public comment: downtown business and property owners expressed mixed reactions. Bret Glass, a downtown business owner and property owner, urged caution about taxation and about prescriptive plans, saying flexibility is critical for retail operators and that a parking structure is a higher priority than new assessments at this time. Melissa Ruth said early interviews showed openness to exploring both mill levies and TIF if there is clarity on what the dollars would fund.

What's next: consultants will continue drafting the plan and expect to issue a full draft this summer and move toward adoption in the fall. If the downtown partners desire a funded DDA, the plan will provide the project lists and analysis needed to test the financial capacity and property‑owner support for mill levy or TIF options.