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Hillsboro City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a plan creating an urban renewal area in historic downtown Hillsboro.

The proposed URA would span 1,108 acres and include six neighborhoods. The city projects the URA dollars will support $95 million in brick and mortar project expenditures over the plan’s 20-year lifespan. The money will help fund storefront improvements, sewer improvements, new transportation infrastructure, increased parking, new public spaces and workforce training facilities.

The URA is focused around the core of Hillsboro’s business district. While the URA will help remove blight and promote revitalization, the council and residents were adamant that they didn’t want to lose the character and identity of Hillsboro.

Next up, the council will have to approve the plan again after a second reading at the May 4 council meeting. While the proposed funding agent is still in the planning stages, the unanimous council vote was a big step towards actual implementation.

The new URA will be the second URA in Hillsboro history. The Ronler Acres URA, which was created in 1988, helped fund such projects as the Orenco Station mixed-use development and the Hillsboro Stadium project.