BEATRICE – An area of east Beatrice has been declared blighted and substandard by the City of Beatrice, opening the way for use of tax increment financing to further develop the area.


The Beatrice City Council approved that action last night on the ninth development area of the community…roughly from 19th and Court to Beatrice High School.
Because the city was near the maximum 35% of the community that can be declared blighted by state law, elected officials voted to remove some previously blighted areas.


"You put all those together, you end up removing just under one-hundred and five acres. You put in another one-hundred and two acres, you end up at 34-point-two-five percent, when you're all said and done".


City Administrator Tobias Templemeyer says areas removed from the blight designation include those that don’t pay property taxes or are not expected to be developed.


They include an airport runway protection area, Beatrice Community Hospital, the Board of Public Works Service Center, flood plain in the northwest part of the city and the National Guard Armory in west Beatrice. Other property includes that owned by Norris Public Power District, the Gage County Agriculture Society, and city owned land near the Scott Street ball field complex.


Monday night, the city council approved a general redevelopment plan for the east Beatrice area.