Commission approves Midtown amendment, paves way for 105-room hotel and $20 million IRB sales-tax exemption

The Manhattan City Commission on Monday approved a second amendment to the Midtown development agreement that clears the way for a 105-room Hampton Inn at Twelfth Street and Laramie in the Aggieville district and separately authorized $20 million in industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) to enable a construction sales-tax exemption.

City staff said the amendment and IRB authorization are intended to accelerate private development in Aggieville, generate tax increment finance (TIF) revenue for urgent infrastructure work and coordinate private construction with planned street and alley improvements. The votes were unanimous: both motions carried 5-0.

City planning staff and the developer presented the package as a scaled, revenue-focused reset of a previously proposed mixed-use project that stalled. Jason (city staff) reviewed the project history and said the original Midtown concept (approved in 2022) could not move forward as proposed; the developer is proposing a hotel and associated private 100-stall parking structure instead. TJ Vilcanskis of Back 9 Development, representing Midtown Land Company, said the current plan calls for a 105-room Hampton Inn by Hilton with roughly 102 parking stalls and that Hilton is under contract to operate the hotel.

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