Councilmember Bentley led the council Monday in approving a 30-day extension to the economic development agreement with JJJ Real Estate LLC tied to redevelopment of the Liberty Ford and Solon Motel parcels.

The extension, adopted on a 5-2 roll call vote, moves the agreement's critical date to Nov. 3 and gives the developer time to continue environmental investigation, line up financing and discuss a possible reassignment or restructuring of the development team.

Why it matters: The parcels are central to a long-running mixed-use redevelopment plan the city has pursued for years. Council members expressed frustration at uneven communication and missed deliverables, and said the extension is a short pause to assess whether the project can move forward without restarting the development process.

Discussion and evidence: The ordinance before council was described in staff material as “authorizing the mayor or his designee to enter into a second amendment to the economic development agreement with JJJ Real Estate LLC.” City staff and the mayor said recent meetings with developer representatives produced “forward looking ideas” and further progress that justified a short extension to evaluate feasibility.

Andrew Iruzzi, representing RHM, told the council, “I I I guess I apologize if we didn't get you information, as frequently or as, as often as you guys had hoped.” He described ongoing discussions about project financing, partnerships and structural elements of the deal.

Steve Passoff, who identified himself as “a principal of this project,” told councilmembers, “I still very, very much believe in the project,” and said the extra month would allow the developer team to refine site plans, introduce a potential multifamily partner (Metropolitan Holding Company) and continue taking down buildings to permit environmental investigation.

Environmental issues were a key reason developers asked for more time. City staff and developers said two earlier deadlines were tied to submission of a development plan and to the developer obtaining control of the two parcels; those milestones included a cure period for the first deadline but not for the later one. Developers reported finding no intact underground fuel tank at the former Enterprise site after radar scanning, but said piping and other former fuel-system infrastructure remain under a building and have shown signs of contamination. As Andrew Iruzzi summarized, the piping "has shown some signs of contamination around it, and it's also underneath the building," which must be removed so crews can fully assess remediation needs.

Council concerns and conditions: Multiple councilmembers said they had not received promised status updates and expressed mistrust after a prior six-month extension yielded limited public progress. Councilmember Bentley said the city has "bent over backwards" to work with developers and cautioned that taxpayers could be exposed to remediation costs; he referred to a $6,000,000 figure during the discussion as the scale of potential city exposure raised earlier in the meeting. Councilmember Lobster and others urged more frequent, structured communication: the mayor and developer indicated Steve Passoff would meet regularly with city staff during the 30-day period and council members suggested appointing a council representative to sit in on meetings.

Legal and procedural details: City legal staff said the existing contract is with JJJ Real Estate LLC only; any assignment or change in the contracting entity would require additional legislation. The amendment adopted effectively pushes affected contractual dates forward by 30 days; staff noted some exhibits referenced different dates and would be adjusted as part of the amendment process. The staff memo attached to the ordinance set the new acquisition date in paragraph 2 as Nov. 3, 2025.

Vote and next steps: The motion to authorize the mayor to execute the second amendment was made by Councilmember Bentley and seconded by Councilmember Schmitz. The roll call vote was: Bentley, Khan, Lobster, Pilonis and Schmitz — yes; Vice Mayor Meaney and Councilmember Zellen — no. Councilmembers agreed staff would return to the Nov. 3 council meeting with an assessment of viability and any recommended next steps. Developers said they would provide more regular updates and meet with city staff in the coming weeks.

Context: The project has been under discussion for several years and previously received a six-month extension. Developers said financing and construction costs have changed since the project began, making the retail component and lender appetite different than earlier projections.

Ending: With the extension in place, the city will monitor remediation work and partner negotiations over the next month and expects a staff recommendation on whether the project is feasible when council reconvenes on Nov. 3.