Board questions heavy CRA spending on Park Avenue refresh

At a lengthier discussion about capital priorities, several board members pressed staff on the share of CRA funds proposed for the Park Avenue Refresh, characterizing the multi-year allocation as a possible overconcentration of scarce CRA capital.

One member said they saw "we are spending 40 odd percent of the amount that's available ... on the Park Avenue Refresh," pressing staff to explain whether that concentration fits the CRAs mission to address blighted or underinvested areas. Kyle and other members said Park Avenue produces the tax increment that funds CRA programs and that decisions about multi-year projects often reflect prior commitments; staff acknowledged the tension and encouraged formal messaging to the CRA agency about concentrating funds in CRA 1 while committing to westward expansion.