Gallatin committee advances $1.5 million infrastructure grant for Westside Markets development; 5-1 to send to council

The Gallatin City Council committee voted 5-1 on May 13 to send to the full council a resolution authorizing a $1,500,000 grant to the Industrial Development Board (IDB) to support public infrastructure upgrades for the Westside Markets shopping center, a development that would include a Target anchor and other outparcels.

City economic-development staff and the developer presented an economic-impact memorandum from Younger & Associates and described the grant as an incentive to bridge site-development costs that the developer says are preventing anchors from committing. Rosemary Bates, the city’s executive director of development, said the report shows a strong return on investment and that the grant agreement and supporting documents were reviewed by the city attorney and outside counsel prior to the meeting.

Why it matters: the package would be a one-time public contribution to private development, routed through the IDB because the city cannot make a direct grant to a…