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1. What is the city’s urban renewal project?

Urban renewal is the key to sustainable development. The purpose is to develop and redevelop various areas within the City. Urban Renewal projects are used to enhance economic development.

An urban renewal governing body is established (the Redevelopment Authority) and a plan is created to demonstrate how this tool can help improve the area. The goal of urban renewal is to support

economic development and community improvements by encouraging private development, and by financing public projects.

2. Ways to achieve goals under the Urban Renewal Plan?

•  rehabilitation and renovation of structures including historic preservation
• acquisition of property within the Urban Renewal Area 
• demolition and removal of structures
• construction of improvements
• redevelopment

3. How does the city determine the Urban Renewal Area?

The city’s planner identified that the following conditions present barriers to the “growth of Ocean Springs and constitute an economic and social liability to the proposed renewal areas and the City as a whole.”

• Deteriorated or deteriorating structures
• Defective or inadequate street layout
• Faulty lot layout in relation to size 
• Adequacy or usefulness
• Deteriorated site and/or site improvements

4. Why is my property listed?

Under State statute, properties must be either considered blight or slum. Ocean Springs does not have very many properties that are considered blight or slum but like many coastal cities it does have properties that have blight influences, are underdeveloped, or the property is not at their best use and beneficial to the community.

Blight, among other things, can mean being underdeveloped, underperforming, dangerous, deteriorated, or underserved. A physical space or structure that is no longer in acceptable or beneficial condition to its community.

5. Is the city going to take my property?

No. The city would only acquire certain property in the Urban Renewal Area for the following purposes:

• eliminating unhealthy, unsanitary or unsafe conditions
• eliminating obsolete uses, or uses that are detrimental to public welfare
• Providing rights-of-way for streets and sidewalks
• Provide redevelopment sites for public and private redevelopment
• Enhancing tourism and economic development
• Historic preservation
• Rehabilitation and disposition for redevelopment

6. Who will achieve the goals stated in the Urban Renewal Plan?

• private enterprises
• property owners
• non-profit organizations
• the city

These entities can rehab, renovate, develop, and redevelop in accordance with the Urban Renewal Plan.  The Urban Renewal Plan includes restrictions with respect to land uses, maximum densities, building requirements, off-street parking, and loading or unloading spaces.