Economic development board approves five-year rebate for 80-unit Rushmore duplex project

At a recent meeting of the Columbia County Economic Development Board, members approved a county tax-rebate incentive for a planned residential development described in the packet as the Rushmore project, a set of 40 duplex units (80 doors) proposed on parcels off Turner Avenue.

Board staff said the project will be built by a local developer and that it is not seeking state or federal affordable‑housing subsidies. “There’s not gonna be any double dip,” staff representative Dylan Adams said during the presentation. Adams also noted the county now requires a municipal service taxing unit, or MSTU, for residential projects that commit to maintain roads and internal infrastructure.

The board heard a summary of the proposal, the developer’s due diligence materials and a letter from the Haymar Group, which represents the Rushmore project. Staff showed sample designs similar to other duplexes on Lake City Avenue and said the developer reported a capital investment of nearly $20 million in the package provided to the board. Staff also presented a five‑year rebate illustration described during the meeting as approximately $36,144.38 in returned revenue to the developer spread across five years, and said property tax revenue would remain with the county after the rebate period.

Board members discussed infrastructure and local support letters included in the packet. Staff said sewer is not currently on site and that extending utilities remains part of the developer’s plan. The board then moved, seconded and voted to approve the incentive; the meeting record shows a motion, a second and the board responding in the affirmative. The transcript records no roll‑call vote tally in the board packet discussion.

The decision directs county economic‑development staff to proceed with the incentive agreement process and to make the necessary EDA documentation available to the County Commission, which will consider final approval as part of its agenda.

The board’s packet includes the developer’s letter from the Haymar Group, site maps and a due‑diligence packet available from county staff for review.