Cities with no interest in urban development are cities that have given up. Without plans for the future there can be no future. This is why Smith Loveless pumps is constantly developing its products, and why the City of Salem has several initiatives within its urban development department. If you're moving to Salem or you already live there, you'll be happy to know that your mayor and city council intend to make sure the city doesn't crumble to the ground. Take a look through the programs to see if there are any that can help you.

Urban Renewal

Neighborhoods develop in cycles. New neighborhoods are popular and sparkling, gradually decline in worth and popularity until someone decides to improve things, and then they climb back up again. The authority responsible for the rebirth of old or depressed areas in Salem is the urban renewal division. Their efforts can include anything from providing tax breaks to people who fix up properties in the area to cleaning up leftover waste water treatment chemicals. Areas currently under their care include: Downtown, Mill Creek, Fairview, North Gateway, McGilchrist, Pringle Creek, West Salem and the South Waterfront.

Economic Development

The lifeblood of a city is its jobs. Without steady, gainful local employment, residents could not afford to buy real estate or improve their homes. Therefore the economic development division puts its energies into attracting new businesses and investors. They might give tours to a prospective restaurateur who is currently a personal chef in Toronto. They might provide statistics and start up advice to new businesses, and give incentives (in the form of grants and tax breaks) to businesses who could really improve the city by bringing high wage or green employment.

Housing

A sparkling city full of jobs is all well and good, but people need somewhere to live. The housing division provides help to those who may not otherwise be able to afford their property. In addition, it's a source of funds, through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, that allow residents to improve their neighborhoods. This might mean getting an expert in electronic circuit design to fix the traffic lights, building a park, improving the roadways, or fixing up unsightly unoccupied homes.

Projects

There are a number of Salem urban development projects on the go at any one time. For instance, for 2010, there's SR&ED going into developing green ways to power the city at the Salem Renewable Energy and Technology Center. There's also a bicycle and pedestrian bridge to Mill Island underway, and a railway bridge under development on Union Street. Furthermore, there's a push on to increase the number of businesses and services in the downtown area and to promote Mill Creek as a location for corporate businesses moving into the area.