City council approves extended urban revitlization district

The Decorah City Council has unanimously approved an extended Urban Revitalization District in the downtown area.

The new district will now extend east to Sumner Avenue from South Avenue on the north to Main Street on the south.

City officials took pains Monday night to stress that the new district does not change any of the zoning of property within the expanded district.  Instead it allows property owners within the district to apply for tax abatements any time they make improvements to their property that increases the assessed valuation of the property by more than 15 percent.

The property owner would have to get city council approval for the tax abatement.