Farmington's Grand River Corridor Improvement Authority meets Thursday, Sept. 10, to review a scoring tool that will guide public investment along the 1.08-mile corridor east of downtown.

The Investment Scoring Matrix, submitted by City Manager David Murphy, would grade proposed projects across nine categories before the authority decides whether to freeze taxable value on redeveloped commercial properties. The categories include location, existing conditions, community and housing impacts, project design, sustainability, transportation, economic impacts, project feasibility and level of investment, according to the meeting packet.

Murphy's staff report said a draft of the matrix was distributed at the board's Aug. 13 meeting. The Sept. 10 session is meant to gather feedback on priorities and how much weight each category should carry. No vote is scheduled.

Several details remain unfinished. Dollar thresholds that determine how many points a project earns under the "Level of Investment" category are listed as placeholders. Point maximums for each category have not been set.

The draft rewards projects that create "attainable housing" for households earning 60% to 100% of the local area median income. It also awards points for mixed-use development, pedestrian-friendly street design, LEED certification, bike facilities, EV charging stations and public amenities such as parks, plazas and outdoor seating.

The authority's tax-increment financing (TIF) plan runs through 2034 and is projected to capture about $1.04 million over 20 years from 99.3 acres of corridor property. On Jan. 8, the board voted unanimously to reserve $250,000 of existing TIF funds for large, catalytic projects. Remaining money is going toward 2026 work plan items including new crosswalks and a bus stop improvement.

Board member Maria Taylor reported at the July 9 meeting that the Pathways Committee is working on a new pedestrian crossing with a median island on Grand River at Lakeway.

Also on the Sept. 10 agenda, board member Patrick Thomas will provide an update on the Farmington Hills side of the corridor authority. At a Farmington Hills City Council joint study session on July 20, Mayor Theresa Rich noted that developers at a GRCIA session had described "significant frustration with the difficulty of doing business in Farmington Hills." Rich called that feedback a motivating force behind the city's broader zoning reform effort.

The meeting begins at 8 a.m. in Conference Room A at Farmington City Hall, 23600 Liberty St.