JRTF Mtg Min 2010 10-06 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

I-170/Olive Joint Redevelopment Task Force Meeting Minutes: October 6, 2010 Page 2 of 4 He noted that he saw the St. Louis Region had no 2,000 capacity nightclub facility, and that the Region was being passed up by lots of bands. He developed the Pageant on the city of St. Louis side and it help bring people across Skinker. Mr. Edwards noted that it was important for the redevelopment of The Loop to have owner occupied businesses. He also noted he saw the benefits of working cooperatively with the City of St. Louis to get things done. Shortly after expanding The Loop eastward, a special business district was created on the portion of The Loop in the City of St. Louis. Due to State regulations limiting the boundaries of a special business district within one County, each side of The Loop had to have its own special business district. He stated he saw a need to ensure that the tax rates and licenses had to be the same on each side of The Loop, and a need to eliminate any inconsistencies between the University City side and the City of St. Louis side. He noted that today, The Loop is impacted by 3-government entities, University City, City of St. Louis, and St. Louis County. He expressed patience and coordination as the key to The Loop’s success. He stated that this intergovernmental cooperation paid off when the Region was able to attract and receive funding for The Loop trolley project. He noted that 65 cities applied for Federal funding, and 5 cities, including the City of St. Louis (on behalf of The Loop), received funding. The key was cooperation, not fragmentation. Mr. Edwards followed with current Loop projects, including construction of a Chuck Berry statute. The Task Force followed up with several questions. In an inquiry regarding the support of owners taxing themselves, Mr. Edwards noted that when developing the special taxing district, the boundaries were limited to only building footprints fronting Delmar Boulevard. The property owners considered forming various types of districts, but selected the special business district form due to lower taxing rates and structure. He noted it was a tricky process, and he was surprised of the support, given the perception people have on taxes. The Loop Special Business District (University City side) used funds to improve the infrastructure first, rather than concentrate on marketing efforts. He noted that when the second district was created, it was important to convince each of the two special districts comprising The Loop that no one side was going to get more revenue than the other. Mr. Edwards was asked to clarify the joint reviews for permitting. Mr. Edwards noted that in individual projects or buildings in the City of St. Louis, the City provides a one stop meeting with all permitting parties to note to the developer necessary requirements, conditions, and applications. He noted this is a vast improvement over past procedures. In an inquiry about the demand for a hotel in The Loop, Mr. Edwards noted that it was a great risk he incurred given that The Loop is not an employment area such as Downtown or Clayton. He noted that he saw a hotel need in The Loop, and was able to have financing put in place and secured prior to the current economic conditions. He stated that the Pageant and Washington University provide a need, but it is tricky to create a necessary demand on Mondays thru Thursdays, given the absence of major employment offices. In inquiry regarding the importance of a residential development and how critical are certain businesses such as a movie theater, Mr. Edwards noted that The Loop already had a dense residential base. There were two theaters in The Loop at one time, and he noted the efforts put in place to ensure that at least one remained. He noted that the residential areas surrounding The Loop are critical to its success, and also noted the diversity said residential areas bring. In an inquiry to the operations of the special business districts, Mr. Edwards noted that a separate budget is developed by each special district that is reflective of the other, and then is forwarded to each District’s City Council for adoption. He noted that University City has a 9-member board, consisting of various stakeholders, including merchants and business owners. He also referenced that to raise funding for the Loop Trolley, a Transportation Development District was formed. Q:\WPOFFICE\ARiganti\JointTaskForce-UCity&Olivette\Meeting minutes\JRTF Mtg Min 2010 10-06.doc