Committee approves statement of benefits for Thunderbird Commerce Center tax abatement request

The Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee on July 14 approved the statement of benefits for Thunderbird CC Land Partners LLC (proposal 210), advancing the company’s application for a real-property tax abatement within an allocation area.

Kathy Battle, program manager for the city’s economic incentives team, said the applicant’s statement of benefits proposes a $110 million real-property investment and a commitment to create 200 jobs. Vincent Ash, vice president of development for Loft Group (project developer), said the proposal envisions a multi‑phase speculative industrial campus with four buildings of about 250,000 square feet each, totaling just over 1 million square feet.

Ash said the site’s advantages include proximity to labor and an on-site AES substation that can support high-utility demand users with minimal upgrades. He said Loft has invested more than $20 million in infrastructure on the property and that the project’s reduced abatement schedule (50% abatement across 8–10 years rather than a 100% first-year abatement) is structured so the savings will largely match tax receipts directed to the TIF for area infrastructure.

Ash also described an inclusivity plan: about 5% of abatement savings (~$441,000 over eight years) would fund community benefits, including a proposed $300,000 forest-preservation fund and workforce development partnerships (Walker Career Center at Warren High School) to build recruitment and training pipelines for site employers. Councilor Hart supported the application and described long-term work with the developer and city on the site’s TIF and planning history. The committee recorded a motion and the transcript shows the motion carried; no roll-call tally appears in the transcript.