ST. LOUIS 鈥 A key portion of developer Paul McKee鈥檚 NorthSide Regeneration project hit a snag Wednesday when city Comptroller Darlene Green objected to a 40-year, 1 percent sales tax called for in the project鈥檚 financing package.
Green voiced her objections as the Board of Estimate and Apportionment was set to vote on in tax increment financing assistance to build a near the corner of Cass Avenue and North Tucker Boulevard.
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Also included in the financing package 鈥 but not on Wednesday鈥檚 meeting agenda 鈥 is the establishment , a special taxing district that can be established by property owners to levy property and sales taxes to fund projects.
Last week, members of the public and the Board of Aldermen complained that the planned sales tax included in the CID to help a developer who has already been granted millions in city and state tax incentives.
On Wednesday, Green used her position as one-third of the powerful Estimate & Apportionment board to add to the criticism and ask for concessions before she could support the overall package.
Specifically, Green said a 40-year tax was too long. She suggested the CID should be terminated after 25 years 鈥 once the money it generates is no longer needed to help improve infrastructure.
Another concession Green asked for is community input over how portions of the revenue generated by the CID will be used.
Green proposed that some of the money should go toward paying for extra security for people who live in the area.
鈥淎ny CID needs to have some community control,鈥 she said after the meeting. 鈥淲e have to make sure we are thinking about the needs of the community.鈥
Green, along with the board鈥檚 other two members, Mayor Francis Slay and Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, agreed to hold a special meeting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss the comptroller鈥檚 objections.
The proposed grocery store and gas station have been advertised as central pieces needed to develop the area around the coming National Geospatial Intelligence Agency headquarters.
Otis Williams, executive director of 最新杏吧原创 Development Corp. described the gas station as a convenience store that will sell gas, rather than just a regular gas station.
The grocery store will be a GreenLeaf Market run by Good Natured Family Farms, a farmers group that provides fresh food from small family farms in the Kansas City area.
