The City Council approved a redevelopment project plan, a 1% community improvement district (CID) sales tax and an associated development agreement for a proposed redevelopment at the northeast corner of 30th and Topeka Boulevard on Aug. 12.

Rhiannon Freeman, the city's director of development and planning, presented a combined briefing on three related items: the tax-increment financing (TIF) project plan, the CID formation and the development agreement. The developer, Battiste Development Company, has proposed demolition of an existing structure on the 2.66-acre site and construction of a quick-service restaurant (developer-owned) and up to two third-party commercial pad buildings.

Freeman said the developer estimates a project budget of about $19.31 million and that the citystaff and development-review committee negotiated reimbursement terms. The development agreement reviewed by staff and the committee caps the total combined developer reimbursement available through CID and TIF mechanisms. Freeman said the development agreement sets a maximum combined reimbursement "not to exceed" $5,400,000 and calls for specific commencement and place-in-service dates: the TIF would commence by July 1, 2027, the CID by Jan. 1, 2028, and the quick-service restaurant would be in service no later than Dec. 31, 2028.

The development agreement requires the developer to certify construction costs and to provide closing statements if and when the developer sells the pad sites to third-party owners; those disclosures are designed to confirm the project assumptions used in the financial analysis. Freeman said the project and the development agreement also incorporate reporting requirements to comply with recent state legislative changes.

Polsinelli attorney Bob Johnson, representing Battiste Development Company, and developer representatives attended the meeting. Planning Commission had reviewed the project for consistency with land-use plans and recommended the TIF project plan be found consistent.

Council approved the TIF project plan and related project ordinance 10-0, then approved the CID ordinance 9-0 (Councilman Duncan was out of the room) and approved the development agreement and CID-related actions 9-0. Staff and the developer said the CID would levy a 1% sales tax within the district to fund CID-eligible costs; details of the CID and TIF reimbursements and their phasing are set in the development agreement.

The council vote allows the city to implement the developer agreement framework and to proceed to later steps in the CID/TIF process, including the collection and remittance mechanics spelled out in the development agreement.

Council members asked about timing and oversight; staff said the agreement includes annual reporting and certification steps for the city to monitor costs and developer compliance.