DPD will work with HCD and their existing neighborhood-level commercial revitalization initiatives to support locally-owned small businesses to address financing needed for building upgrades and façade improvements, improving access to low interest loans and grant opportunities and providing business management counseling.

A proactive Environmental Team (E-team) should partner with neighborhoods to aggressively use the Tennessee Nuisance Law and the Neighborhood Preservation Act to address problem properties.

Amend ordinances to add a maintenance code that sets higher standards for privately and publicly-owned property including maintaining the original transparency of commercial building fronts and retaining appropriate front and rear external lighting regardless of occupancy.

Aggressively pursue large scale redevelopment opportunities using either the existing Shelby County Land Bank or a newly created joint Memphis-Shelby County Land Bank.

The Land Bank Office should prepare a study of revenue gained from the outright sale of tax delinquent properties vs. if the property is freely gifted to county government to sell for use in a redevelopment project and returned to the tax rolls with a higher assessed value due to its revitalization.