Labor leaders, including UNITE HERE Local 49, and residents are planning a rally outside Sacramento City Hall to protest a city council vote scheduled for Tuesday regarding a financial plan for the Railyards.
The Railyards development, which includes construction of a new soccer stadium, is described as the nation’s largest urban infill project of its kind.
The city council is scheduled to vote to approve the “Proposed Expansion of the City of Sacramento Railyards Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District and the Amended Infrastructure Financing Plan, including the Division of Taxes Set Forth Therein, and Authorizing Other Related Actions,” according to the agenda item.
An EIFD is a type of special financing district that utilizes a portion of tax increment revenue from the area within its boundaries (as well as other sources that may be identified in a financing plan) to assist in providing projects of communitywide significance that provide significant benefits to the area within the EIFD and the surrounding community, according to a city staff report.
The expanded area would include 238 acres and 55 parcels in an area described as “Railyards West”.
“Increasing the percentage of total net-EIFD revenues set-aside for affordable housing from 20% to 25%, as described in the amended Infrastructure Financing Plan, will increase the estimated total amount of EIFD revenues available for affordable housing development,” read the city staff report.
However, UNITE HERE described this plan as a subsidy for developers without community benefit, because it channels these dollars to developers, according to a UNITE HERE news release.
“Last June, majority of Railyards residents voted down the subsidy plan. Under California law, this meant Sacramento had to wait a year before bringing back the subsidy for a vote. Instead of using that year to improve the deal, City Hall has brought back the same plan, but with all of the residents cut out of the district. Residents have accused the City of trying to silence them,” read a UNITE HERE news release.
UNITE HERE is asking the city council to postpone this vote until a new community benefits agreement can be reached.
In the meantime, UNITE HERE plans a rally for 4:30 p.m. outside City Hall on Tuesday.
To read the staff report to the City Council, click here.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google