At Thursday’s meeting, the Frankfort Redevelopment Commission heard a resolution that takes one parcel out of the city’s existing Conagra Economic Development Area and makes it a new district called the DataOne Economic Development Area.
Dustin Meeks, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg, presented Resolution 26-05 to the Commission. He described it as a declaratory resolution that changes the boundaries of the Conagra district and creates the new area. The new district comes with its own tax increment financing (TIF) allocation area. Meeks said the resolution only creates the district. Any incentive tied to the project will be handled separately.
The approved resolution starts a review process with several steps. The Frankfort Plan Commission and the Common Council will both consider the proposal before it returns to the Redevelopment Commission for a public hearing and final approval.
Environmental questions on North Main property
Under old business, Commissioners discussed buying property at 250 North Main Street after an environmental review raised concerns about possible contamination from a former nearby dry cleaning business.
“We essentially have a couple of choices,” Liz Stitzel told the board. “We can move forward with a phase two to confirm that there’s no possible issues, or we can weigh the risk and say we’re not concerned about that, or we can just let that property go” adding that buying the property without a clean Phase I report could make the city responsible for any contamination found later.
More information will be gathered, and the Commission plans to take up the issue again at its regular meeting next Thursday. October 29.
Commissioners Jeremy Newcomer, Chris Vawter, John Virtue, and President Joe Palmer were present at this October 22 meeting. Commissioner Eric Woods was absent.