Wilson Borough resident Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen attended a meeting of Wilson Area School Board on Monday night concerning the redevelopment of the long vacant Dixie Cup factory into apartments. Developer Skyline Investment Group wants a tax break known as Tax Increment Financing, which will enable it to float a bond from the increased assessment for construction over a period of 20 years. Below is his report.
Last night, both Wilson Area School District and Wilson Borough held meetings where elements of the Dixie Cup redevelopment were discussed. The below picture covers one of the biggest pieces of new information shared at the Wilson Area School Board meeting: Skyline Investment Group is directly offering funding to Wilson Area School District and Wilson Borough (see second row: "Cash Contribution")
While the $1.1 million to Northampton County is not new (this figure comes from the affordable housing opt-out language that's been discussed previously), the $1,000,000 to the School District and the $500,000 to the Borough is entirely new. Additionally, it is important to note that this is only an offer; neither the Borough nor the District have approved any language yet. Considering the fact that there was previously no upfront funding coming to either entity, this is a notable potential concession from the developer. As I asked months ago when we learned about the $1.1 million being offered to the County, I would ask the same question to the Borough and District now: Is this funding offer enough?
Given the fact that no TIF resolution has been introduced yet by either the Borough or the School District, I am also curious about how this contribution would be handled. For the County, the mechanism enabling the $1.1 million contribution is the opt-out affordable housing language in their TIF ordinance. What is the mechanism for the Borough and District contributions?
In addition to this initial offer presented at the Wilson Area School Board meeting, Wilson Borough Council also voted on a resolution to grant a parcel of land adjacent to the Dixie Cup site to the County General Purpose Authority, with the ultimate aim of getting that site granted to the Dixie Cup developers to complete their development plan (the parcel is largely represented below by the red square).
As for a vote on the TIF, it looks as though a hearing could happen before the end of the month or early in August at either taxing body. For the sake of those of us who went to both meetings, I can only hope the public hearings and votes are not on the same night. If you have strong opinions on the funding offers or on the TIF in general, please let me know or come out to the hearings when they get scheduled. We've only gotten this far because of the engagement of the community; let's keep it going!
20 comments:
So basically they’re bribing the school district and borough politicians with up-front cash in exchange for their vote to sell out the taxpayers long-term.
If they’re willing to offer this, you know they’re getting far more in the long run. Politicians tend to think short-term, which usually doesn’t work out well.
Why the deception? Why not state this upfront? Another shady move by this group.
Tremendous leadership is being shown by Mayor Barrett here. He’s getting 200 million in development done in his tiny Borough. This will be his crowing achievement.
150 new construction jobs when work is slowing down. This is great news for working people.
It’s so obvious when comments like 6:20 AM are coming from McClure and Bartee moles
This is another example of how this whole deal stinks ! Anon 5:23 is 100% correct ….why not offer this from the beginning ? Only after there has been resistance are they now offering it. And how is paying $2.5m in exchange for $29m a good deal for the taxpayers ???! I will be curious to see how they plan to “pay” the upfront money because I don’t think they have it.
Quite frankly my little pea brain that handles my Social Security and small pension checks can't understand where do all this monies reside that are being thrown about to different entities to sweeten the vote to approve? Some way I know that I will in reality be paying for this out of my monies or degradation of qualities of life. This development will be pricy to rent (affordable housing?), throw much more traffic and litter and more heat and pollution to a congested area already, and the price for construction of "affordable" will be outrageous, suck down these monies in one gulp and will do nothing to affect the area's housing needs. If "affordable' housing rests on this debacle, God help us. Sometimes an "eyesore" lies in the eye of the beholder. If so offensive, raze the area and plant lots of trees ten feet on center and not this pitiable bit of grass, a small shrub and an isolated tree or two surrounded by macadam and concrete (currently the bones throw to us by developers).
Mc Clueless's folly makes him look like Don the Con tRUMP
Here we go again, the person writing the article wants LOW TO MODERATE housing. (WILSON HAS TO MUCH ALREADY WITHIN THE BOROUGH)
And the POWERLESS MAYOR BARRETT, If he need a feather in is hat, go find a chicken farm and pluck one.
And the School is along for the ride to the farm
If SKYLINE can give money away to get a tax break for 20 years, ask SKYLINE give the same amount each year for 20 years or when the project is 100% taxable
WAKE UP TAX PAYERS AND LOOK WHO IS TRYING TO FILL THEIR POCKETS.IT WILL ALL FALL ON YOU (TAX PAYER) DOWN THE ROAD
Mayor Barrett says 400 grand in new taxes right away for Wilson Borough. That plus the 500 equals a new police station. I hope they name it after him !
@6:20 - Are you the "fake developer"? My bet is it is you and you are banking on the 29 million and whatever happens after that, you don't give a shit and walk away with taxpayer millions!
Armando is trying to condemn Wilson to its post-industrial sclerosis. He’ll then move declaring he just can’t raise his family in a place like Wilson.
@6:27 unemployment is at an all time low. Also so what if those construction jobs come to Wilson, the second the building is done they disappear. It is obvious you are a McClure/Skyline shill.
$400,000 per apartment ! Use your brain, there is NO WAY they are spending that much money on one bedroom apartments that rent for $1,900. It is another Skyline lie, like all their other lies. You could build a huge house for $400,000!!! Barter is inflating the price to stick all the money in their pockets.
Has anyone noticed that someone has been posting on here for a few weeks that Wilson will get $500k upfront but that was just divulged last night ? Suspicious
Favorite part of these Comments is anonymous commenters calling other anonymous commenters as if they’re anonymity trumps anyone else’s anonymity.
Don Barrett is orchestrating this brilliantly. Letting McClure take the “lead” and all of the flak for this. This Guy’s like Machiavelli.
What really has Mayor Barrett done for the Borough except create problems and then walk away from them like he wasn't involved
There is more important projects in Wilson Borough to worry about than a police station with BAD money
WAKE UP PROPERTY OWNERS AND TAX PAYERS A NO VOTE BY WILSON COUNCIL IS A PLUS FOR THE BOROUGH SO YOU DON'T OWE ANYBODY FAVORS
I guess you’re talking about yourself?
Big waste of time. Stop making this about affordable housing. Inside politics.
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