Developers pitch Osage Beach Marketplace and Bass Pro plan; board appoints TIF commission representatives
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Summary
Developers outlined a large Osage Beach Marketplace project featuring an expanded Bass Pro Shop and related retail/hospitality, described job and payroll projections and asked for local support. The board appointed two representatives to the TIF commission and discussed community benefits and school impacts.
Developers presented the Osage Beach Marketplace project March 2, describing a redeveloped retail/entertainment complex anchored by a significantly larger Bass Pro Shop and associated hotels, restaurants and entertainment. The pitch emphasized local economic benefits, workforce and education partnerships, and the project's use of a state-level Tax Increment Financing (TIF) structure.
Chris Foster (speaker 7), representing the development team, told the board the project would include national tenants, substantial on-site payroll and thousands of temporary construction jobs. Developers cited figures including approximately $55 million in annual on-site payroll and as many as 1,600 full-time jobs for the operational phase and thousands of construction jobs during build-out (figures cited by the presenters). They also estimated multi-million-dollar annual sales-tax collections at the site and described a TIF ask that would allow the project to capture incremental tax revenues for debt service during the development period.
Board members pressed developers on key community impacts: whether new workers would live inside the district, how many students (if any) such a development might add to the district roll, whether personal property taxes would be captured, and what community amenities (for example culinary training space, internship opportunities or pool access) the developers would provide. Developers said the project team was exploring pilot internship and culinary partnerships with local schools and that some amenities and local-use benefits could be discussed as part of project negotiations.
Because the project involves a state TIF process, developers explained that applicants typically seek strong local support; they asked the board’s participation at the April 1 TIF commission hearing. Committee member 1 moved to appoint two representatives (Bridal Butts and Jacob Nusche) and name a board alternate to represent the district on the Osage Beach Marketplace TIF Commission; the motion was seconded and carried, with at least one member noting an abstention on record.
What remains: the TIF commission hearing is scheduled (developers requested community representation April 1); board members requested more detailed information about projected student impacts and past TIF approvals, and asked staff to research previous minutes for comparable projects.
Note: The transcript records developers’ estimates cited above; those figures were presented by project proponents and were not independently verified during the meeting.
