What changes could a local government make to help REI

[Austin Davis]

So I'm interviewing for a position with a local government in the Tampa Bay area in the City Planning Department. The position has a mild focus towards economic development in the downtown area. In some of my research I've noticed the city is trying to direct resources in the downtown housing stock and trying to improve it. They are trying to attract both improvements to neighborhoods in the immediate surrounding neighborhoods and the downtown (both second story residential and the few apartment building around). So my questions to the BP community, what sort of policies or programs could a local government enact to encourage, foster, attract, or generally make things easier for REI's to improve the housing stock in those targetted locations (or even in general city)?