Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Downtown Redevelopment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
First Baptist Donates Easements; City Seeks $13 million State Allocation for Downtown Project
Summary
City staff said First Baptist Church donated necessary easements that cut project costs by ‘a few hundred thousand dollars’ and that the city has requested a $13 million direct state allocation to close a funding gap for the downtown redevelopment project; permits and remaining easements remain outstanding.
City staff reported progress and remaining hurdles on the downtown move-validation and streetscape project, including donated easements and a state funding request.
Staff told council that First Baptist Church signed and donated many of the easements the city needed, which the presenter said “is saving us a few hundred thousand dollars.” Council and staff are still negotiating with other property owners for additional easement donations; no other property owners had completed paperwork at the time of the meeting.
To fill a remaining funding gap, staff said they have submitted a request to Senator Turner and Representatives Vaughn and Willis for a direct state allocation of $13,000,000. The request is intended to bridge the gap between existing local funds and the amount needed to complete the project.
Staff also reported a permitting delay with the state agency that previously reviewed the plans (referred to generically in the meeting as DHEC or the successor permitting office). The project’s engineer has responded to agency comments twice, staff said, and staff described the delay as a combination of agency staffing and organizational changes. Staff said they are pursuing help from state representatives to expedite permitting.
No formal council action was taken on funding requests at the meeting; staff said they will continue to negotiate donations, pursue the state allocation, and press permitting authorities to move the review forward.
