Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Economic Development Committee Approves Expansion of TIF District in Indianapolis

From the Indianapolis Business Journal:

A proposal that would expand a downtown tax-increment financing district to the northeast and northwest was approved Monday by the City-County Council's Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee.

The plan, which awaits consideration of the full City-County Council, is intended to support redevelopment of the Massachusetts Avenue fire station site and projects such as downtown apartments, a new Marsh grocery store and a high-tech corridor along West 16th Street.

The measure wasn’t on the committee’s agenda. The 5-1 vote came in the last moments of the 90-minute committee meeting and after committee chairman Steve Talley attempted to adjourn the meeting. He walked out before the vote took place.

Talley, a Democrat, previously said he wouldn’t give the vote a hearing until the city adopts new policies on TIF districts.

But other Democrat council members, including Vop Osili, had resolved their concerns with officials of Mayor Greg Ballard's administration who sought the TIF district expansion.

The agreement that won over Democrats on the committee includes using more than $13 million in city funds for workforce training programs and use of minority employees on projects in the district.
...

Democratic counselor Brian Mahern created a study commission – chaired by Talley – that developed recommendations on future uses of the economic development tool.

http://www.ibj.com/tif-district-expansion-proposal-gets-committee-ok/PARAMS/article/36342