What is a special improvement district?

Following my post last week about the Vitality Over-the-Rhine Initiative, there has been some confusion over what exactly are the functions and powers of special improvement districts.

The District Coordinator of that project has sent this link to Chapter 1710 of the Ohio Revised Code, which covers these districts from creation to dissolution.

It's quite lenghty, so I won't even attempt to reproduce it here.

Please note that most of the actions that Vitality Over-the-Rhine have taken so far are requirements found in Section 1710.02 of the code.