During the April Crossville City Council meeting, members heard an update on the progress made by the firm the city hired to try and recruit additional retail and restaurants to Crossville.
According to the report given by City Manager Greg Wood, the company has been working with a North Carolina developer on a piece of property along 127-N. This is the same property that was optioned 18-24 months ago for a development that never went forward. The new proposal may require the participation of the city in support of new retail development and council approved a motion to offer “reasonable support” to facilitate the project.
Map showing the location of the proposed site of new
retail development by Carolina Holdings, Inc.
(From CHI website)
(From CHI website)
According to Wood, some letters of intent have been signed on the new proposed development but nothing is final yet.
Preliminary design of shopping development
on 127-N. (From CHI website)
The company was known as r360 but has since changed their name to NextSite. Wood explained that the firm had been attending conferences on the city's part and have met with developers and tenant representatives and retailers. They are also visiting developers at their offices on a continuing basis.
Now available for Andriod and Apple in
the Play Store and Apple App Store!
Search: NewCarDawg
“One of the proposals/developers they have brought to us is a group called Carolina Holdings, Inc.” Wood told the council. “They have an option on the property just north of the Chevrolet dealership. They are very successful and developed the project at Mt. Juliet.”
Wood added that they have recruited some retail firms that he couldn't discuss yet, “but one thing they wanted me to relay was this is a kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity, the group of retailers they have brought together, if we don't come together on this deal, the likelihood of them returning again to look at Crossville is somewhat slim.”
The ONLY Candidate with previous Mayoral
Experience: Doug Scarlett!
Paid Political Announcement
To find out more about Doug Scarlett
“There are some capital needs for this and we've been in consultation with some specialized attorneys as far as TIF funding.” TIF is Tax Increment Funding that earmarks future tax revenues to pay back funds borrowed for development.
Wood added the city has also been looking at some possible Rural Development funding as well as TDOT funding for intersection development.
“We just need to show them that the city is committed to this development as the city attorney, myself and the Mayor meet with the various attorneys that specialize we will bring back to you a recommendation how best to potentially make an offer on behalf of the city as far as partnering with this retail group,” Wood explained.
Property for the proposed retail site is currently
listed as owned by Woodmere Properties III.
Wood told the council, “I realize this sets a bit of a precedent as retail is not something typically done but to enhance our economic development in other areas. The new CEO of Crossville Inc. lives in Knoxville mainly because we don't have the amenities that his wife was asking for here so he commutes from Knoxville every day.”
“We need to bring in retail establishments to enhance our capabilities for the industrial jobs we want as well. Plus we have a leakage situation where we have people shopping in Cookeville instead of here and that solves our tax dollars going to Cookeville,” concluded Wood.
Wood described the project as a good prospect and a good location being close to I-40 and will pick off people from outside the county as well.
Councilman J. H. Graham moved that the council go on record as supporting the project saying, “I believe it is important that the city of Crossville show these developers that we are well versed in dealing with developers and using incentives for manufacturers and now we are looking toward providing incentives for developers of retail shopping areas.”
Graham's motion was to continue negotiations with the full intent of providing a reasonable incentive program for them to improve the retail growth in this community. Council member Pamala Harris supported the motion and it was passed unanimously.
Just having new businesses in town will not help if they are retail stores that don't pay a living wage. I would hope they would approach Costco, a strong union employer with a great deal of public support wherever there stores are located. Aldi's grocery store is another one that would be a good fit for Crossville and I think it is incumbent that the developers let the people participate in letting us know who they are wanting to bring in here rather than presenting it as a fate accompli after the fact where people have had no input just as they had no input on the decision to four lane Peavine Rd. while cutting back on 127 North. ALL employers are not necessarily good employers. For instance, it costs $8,000 a year for Wal Mart in public assistance such as Welfare and Food Stamps for Wal Mart's employees rather than paying them a decent wage. All of us subsidize the Walton sisters in Arkansas. I don't really want to do it with other retailers who have a non union, minimum wage model. The City of Crossville does not need to help bring those kinds of folks here. They are already here! All we want of them that is--for my part.
ReplyDelete