Published: November 16, 2009 09:53 pm      

City moving forward with TIF districts

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — The first step has been taken by the city council to implement two tax increment finance districts.

The city council approved an agreement with Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, described as the “premier TIF consultants” on Monday night. The company will be responsible for preparing an eligibility study of the two areas and certifications necessary under the Illinois TIF statute.

“TIF just gives us another competitive tool in our belt to work with business,” City Manager Ron Neibert told members of the council. “It allows us to negotiate with businesses one at a time and address some of their needs.”

The two proposed districts would be eligible under two different criteria in the TIF statute, with the first being the “west side” TIF, which would be roughly located in the area south of Wal-Mart up to Sparrow Lane, and then near Ambassador, with an east boundary of Interstate 57. The second TIF, referred to as the “east” TIF, would have a northern border near the Drury Inn, go down Mateer Drive, include the front of South 42nd Street and continue south as far as it can extend towards the new interchange and still qualify.

The western TIF would include about 600 acres which were previously identified in the Comprehensive Plan for development, Neibert said. At this time, only about 100 of those acres are part of the corporate limits of the city, and the city is speaking with property owners about annexation.

In addition to approving the contract to begin work on the TIF districts, the council approved an economic development agreement with Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc. Under terms of the agreement, the city will rebate half of the 1 percent sales tax collected from Kohl’s after the store opens up to $1.5 million, contingent on receiving the tax from the state.

According to Mark Lee of Kohl’s the store, which is to be located on South Davidson Drive next to Lowe’s, some infrastructure projects will have to be completed before construction can begin.

“We’ll start pouring footings late summer 2010,” Lee said. “The doors will open no later than the first week of April 2011.”

In other business, the council:

The council discontinued a prohibition for the sale of retail alcohol at Cedarhurst;

Held a first reading on an ordinance to rezone property at 1208 Conger from RM2 to B2;

Approved a conditional use permit to allow Kohl’s to put up a sign on the existing Lowe’s signage at Davidson Drive and Broadway;

Increased the number of Motel-Hotel Ticket licenses for alcohol to be served from three to four;

Approved the hazard mitigation plan;

Declared structures at 430 S. 18th Street, 1310 Conger, 2013 Perkins Ave., 2109 Cherry St., 517 S. 21st St., 520 S. 15th St., 408 S. 15th St., and 309 Caborn Ave., as dangerous and dilapidated; and

Approved a resolution in support of widening Interstate 57 from north of Mt. Vernon to Marion.