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Council debates amended TIF deal for Blunt and Moore cannabis dispensary
Summary
Council considered an amended development agreement for Blunt and Moore Holdings LLC to remodel a property at 7300 Twin Pyramid Parkway into a cannabis dispensary. Staff said investment, jobs and sales projections were reduced from the original agreement; members sought stronger safeguards tying TIF payments to occupancy and construction milestones.
A majority of the Belleville City Council discussed and debated an amended development agreement on Nov. 17, 2025, that would allow Blunt and Moore Holdings LLC to remodel an existing facility at 7300 Twin Pyramid Parkway into a cannabis dispensary.
City staff said the amendment separates projected figures for a dispensary and a separate growth facility and reduces several original commitments. According to staff, the capital investment in the project in the agreement was revised from $1,800,000 to $1,400,000, first‑year job commitments were reduced (staff described a change from 30 projected jobs to 20 in year one with different second‑year figures), and sales projections were lowered (staff cited a reduction from roughly $8.85 million to about $3.5 million). Eric, a city staff member involved in the file, said the changes reflected a phased approach that separates stage 1 (dispensary opening) from later growth‑center expansion.
Council members questioned whether the reduced commitments still justified full TIF reimbursement. Michael Hagerman, a public commenter who said he reviewed the documents, said the developer was cutting measurable commitments yet would still receive the full requested reimbursement and urged tighter contractual language. Other members pressed staff on safeguards: committee members described placing a hold on the second TIF payment until the city issues an occupancy permit or the business is actually open and discussed start‑of‑construction milestones and penalty provisions already written into the agreement.
The council’s discussion focused on whether to approve the amendment as written (which staff said was drafted under previous staff) or to require clearer, enforceable milestones and documentation before releasing taxpayer funds. Staff repeatedly said the committee intended to withhold additional payments until the developer demonstrated occupancy and provided qualifying receipts. The record shows ongoing disagreement among members about whether the revised figures and timing still meet the city’s expectations.
Next steps: the matter remained under council consideration in this meeting record and committee safeguards—holding payment until occupancy and adding penalty enforcement—were emphasized as the primary protections for TIF dollars.
