The City of Sturgeon Bay will now wrap up negotiations with some developers and start them with others over infrastructure improvements needed to begin work in the newly amended and created tax increment districts, or TIDs.

The TIDs were officially approved Thursday after the city met with local school districts, the county, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and local residents to discuss the scope of the proposed projects and determine whether the TIDs are necessary for the projects to become a reality.

The city has been working not only to create TID No. 12 to help fund infrastructure improvements necessary to build a new housing development along Division Road, but also to amend TIDs 7, 9 and 10 to expand those districts and facilitate future residential and commercial development.

As a result, the districts grew by more than 120 acres following the Aug. 4 Common Council meeting, including the 77 acres in the proposed TID No. 12.

Sturgeon Bay City Administrator Josh Van Lieshout says the creation of TID No. 12 and amendments to some of the others help the city address a major concern: having enough housing supply to meet demand in the area, especially for the workforce.

Van Lieshout adds that it is important to note that under Wisconsin law, property taxes currently being generated on pre-development land continue to go to the local taxing jurisdictions.

Currently, 8% of the city is in a TID, below the 12% maximum allowed by the state.