With most of the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction either annexed or under development, Oak Ridge North's biggest challenge this year could be citywide redevelopment.

City Manager Vicky Rudy and Economic Development Coordinator Susan Cates said the city has budgeted $50,000 for a consultant to consider the feasibility of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, a funding mechanism that could help the city provide infrastructure in re-developing areas east of Hanna Road. The consultant will present a proposal to the Economic Development Committee and to city council in January for possible approval.

Oak Ridge North is being approached by developers on a weekly basis regarding possible redevelopment plans, Rudy and Cates said.

"We want to be creative, think outside the box and find some different approaches to it that are beneficial to the property owners, to the city and to the businesses," Rudy said.

The city could see development announcements early in 2014, Rudy said. Oak Ridge North's first planned hotel and conference center could be announced by March following a 120-day extension on the developer's agreement with the city. Rudy said construction could break ground on the hotel—at the corner of Robinson Road and I-45—in 2014.

"That's one of the big things on our wish list in 2014 is for [the construction] to get started, and we fully expect for that to happen," she said. "It's going to be huge. It's one of those major things that once that's formally announced and they break ground, then other things will happen to fall in line."

Cates said several other announcements could be on the horizon early in 2014 after city staff has followed up with different businesses after attending the International Council of Shopping Centers in Dallas in November.

"There's a lot of things that are going to happen in the first quarter of 2014 in terms of deals that are officially inked," Cates said.