The council reviewed the third phase of the 2024 Small Area Plan during a work session, which envisions converting underutilized office and industrial spaces—including the Opus-owned Children's Campus—into residential neighborhoods. The proposal includes environmental features like 130-foot building height limits, permeable surfaces to manage stormwater, and trail connections to the 9-Mile Creek and Opus Light Rail Station.

However, the plan faces a major infrastructure hurdle: the city's sewer system is nearly at full capacity, which severely limits immediate large-scale development. Consultant Zach Lockrem acknowledged the constraint, stating, "There's nothing that we could propose within our small area that financially would create the tradeoff to do the upgrades for this large area. It's a question that needs to be addressed at a larger scale." The plan proposes a two-phase approach: short-term improvements to aesthetics and mobility, followed by long-term residential conversion once infrastructure upgrades occur.

Council Member Jackson expressed skepticism about the shift away from industrial and office uses, citing concerns about the loss of higher-wage jobs and affordable commercial space for local businesses like a Russian-speaking adult daycare currently in the area. Jackson also warned against setting unrealistic expectations, saying, "I don't want dreams to be set up so high that when implementation comes we have this huge crash of expectations. I want to have you think about how would this be financed."

Council members emphasized the need to clarify funding sources for public improvements, noting that the city cannot rely solely on its general fund. They called for leveraging grants and public-private partnerships to make the ambitious vision financially feasible while balancing housing production goals with job preservation.

The final draft will be presented for public review in December, with a community open house scheduled for December 2 at Chapel Hills Church. The council did not take a formal vote but reached consensus to proceed with the plan's next phase.