TTI: 0-6890 Port Authority Transportation Reinvestment Zone Development and Implementation Guidebook Technical Report 0-6890-P1 Cooperative Research Program TEXAS A&M TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6890-P1.pdf PORT AUTHORITY TRANSPORTATION REINVESTMENT ZONE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION GUIDEBOOK by: Rafael M. Aldrete Abhisek Mudgal Senior Research Scientist Assistant Research Scientist Texas A&M Transportation Institute Texas A&M Transportation Institute Sharada Vadali Juan Carlos Villa Associate Research Scientist Research Scientist Texas A&M Transportation Institute Texas A&M Transportation Institute Carl James Kruse Lorenzo Cornejo Research Scientist Assistant Transportation Researcher Texas A&M Transportation Institute Texas A&M Transportation Institute David Salgado Deog Sang Bae Associate Transportation Researcher Graduate Assistant Texas A&M Transportation Institute Texas A&M Transportation Institute Product 0-6890-P1 Project 0-6890 Project Title: Tools for Port TRZs and TRZs for Multimodal Applications Performed in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation Published: March 2017 TEXAS A&M TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE College Station, Texas 77843-3135 DISCLAIMER The contents of this product reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official view or policies of the Texas Department of Transportation. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. vii List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Boxes.................................................................................................................................. ix About This Guidebook ................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1. Fundamentals of Port Authority Transportation Reinvestment Zones ............... 3 Background ............................................................................................................................... 3 Evolution of the TRZ Legal Framework .................................................................................. 3 Port Authority TRZ Statutory Framework ................................................................................ 4 Port Authority TRZ Definitions ................................................................................................ 5 Established Port Authority TRZs .............................................................................................. 7 Chapter 2. Role of Port Authority TRZs in Port Funding and Financing .............................. 9 Funding Mechanisms and Financing Methods of Texas Ports ................................................. 9 Navigation Districts Reviewed ........................................................................................... 9 Funding Mechanisms ........................................................................................................ 11 Financing Mechanisms ..................................................................................................... 14 Influence of Port Authorities on Land Use Decisions ............................................................ 16 Land Development within Port-Owned Property ............................................................. 17 Land Development within Taxing Jurisdiction ................................................................. 18 Potential Benefit of Port TRZ ................................................................................................. 21 Limitations of Traditional Port Funding Tools ................................................................. 21 Potential Roles of Port Authority TRZs............................................................................ 22 Practical Limitations ......................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 3. Planning and Implementation of Port Authority TRZs ...................................... 25 Stage 1. Initiation .................................................................................................................... 25 Stage 2. Zone Formation ......................................................................................................... 26 Determination of Zone Boundaries ................................................................................... 26 Provision of 60-Day Notice .............................................................................................. 27 Refine TRZ Increment Capture Analysis ......................................................................... 28 Stage 3. Public Hearing and Adoption .................................................................................... 29 Stage 4. TRZ Operation .......................................................................................................... 29 Stage 5. Termination ............................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 4. Port Authority TRZ Case Study and Preliminary Assessment of Revenue ....... 33 Port of Brownsville TRZ ........................................................................................................ 33 Port of Brownsville Preliminary Assessment of TRZ Revenue ............................................. 33 Socioeconomic Data ......................................................................................................... 34 Real Property Cadastral Data ............................................................................................ 35 Preliminary Assessment .......................................................................................................... 37 Port of Brownsville TRZ Revenue ......................................................................................... 38 References .................................................................................................................................... 41 Appendix A: Established Port Authority TRZs ....................................................................... 45 Port of Beaumont .................................................................................................................... 46 Port Arthur .............................................................................................................................. 47 v Sabine-Neches Navigation District ......................................................................................... 48 Port of Brownsville ................................................................................................................. 49 Appendix B: Texas Ports’ Funding, Financing, and Land Development Practices ............. 51 Texas Ports Funding and Financing Data ............................................................................... 51 Port Authorities and Land Development—Supplementary Information ................................ 53 Free Trade Zones Operated by Texas Ports ............................................................................ 56 Appendix C: Key Factors Influencing and Driving Port Authority TRZ Revenue ............. 57 Growth in Real Property Appraisal Values ............................................................................ 58 Port Economic Activity ..................................................................................................... 58 Port Accessibility .............................................................................................................. 58 Key Factors Influence in Port Authority TRZ Revenue ......................................................... 59 vi LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Port Authority TRZ Definitions (Adapted from (9)). ...................................................... 7 Figure 2. County of El Paso TRZ, City of Socorro TRZ, and City of Horizon TRZ. .................. 23 Figure 3. Implementation Stages for Port TRZs. .......................................................................... 25 Figure 4. Preliminary Assessment of Property Tax Increment. .................................................... 34 Figure 5. Population and Employment Future Trends for the NPIA. ........................................... 35 Figure 6. Population and Employment Future Trends for the IPIA. ............................................ 35 Figure 7. Property Value Growth Rates per Land Use for the NPIA. .......................................... 37 Figure 8. Property Value Growth Rates per Land Use for the IPIA. ............................................ 37 Figure 9. Preliminary Assessment. ............................................................................................... 38 Figure 10. Port of Beaumont and TRZ Boundaries. ..................................................................... 46 Figure 11. Port of Port Arthur and TRZ Boundaries. ................................................................... 47 Figure 12. Sabine-Neches Navigation District and