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Grove City narrows site list, rules out Murfin Field as finance plan leans on TIF and possible income‑tax increase
Summary
At a March 2 work session the Grove City Council removed Murfin Field from consideration for a new community center after staff presented the Murfin board's offer and a Baker Tilly analysis showing the project would rely heavily on Pinnacle TIF revenue and a potential 0.5% income‑tax increase to cover early operating subsidies.
Grove City Council members voted informally on March 2 to remove Murfin Field from the list of candidate sites for a proposed city community center after hearing an administration presentation outlining the Murfin board's proposal and preliminary redevelopment costs.
The administration told council members the Murfin board offered roughly 11.2 acres to the city for $1,000,000 and requested the city install two full‑size turf soccer fields, lighting, fencing, storage, bathrooms, regrading of diamonds and an extension of parking (about 200 spaces). An administration representative summarized the redevelopment estimate as "between $6,000,000 and $9,000,000," and said taking that cost would reduce funds available for the community center itself.
Why it matters: council members said the site‑selection committee had set a working minimum of about 15 acres for the community center to allow future expansion, and an 11‑acre parcel would limit that flexibility. After discussion, administration reported it had "ruled this out as a non‑eligible site," and council members voiced consensus to stop pursuing Murfin.
The session then turned to financing. An administration finance representative said the city engaged Baker Tilly to model how much could be financed using Pinnacle TIF revenue over roughly a 22‑year horizon, and outlined a package that included a planned $6,000,000 city contribution up front. The presentation modeled a project of about 130,000 square feet at roughly $550 per square foot and projected the debt service would begin around 2029.
On operating costs, the administration estimated the center might require about $5,000,000 in subsidies in early years. To cover operations it proposed a 0.5% income‑tax increase that staff projected could generate approximately $11,000,000 a year; under the administration's pro forma, about $1,250,000 a year of that would subsidize the center in the initial years and the remainder would flow into the general fund for council direction.
"They're requesting a payment of $1,000,000 cash," the administration representative said of the Murfin offer, and later summarized redevelopment as "between $6,000,000 and $9,000,000." Cindy, a city staff member, added that site‑access work would add costs, estimating about "$500,000 to signalize an entrance" and "$700,000 to $1,000,000" to upgrade a lift station.
Council members pressed staff on debt structure and rating implications. Finance staff said pledging income‑tax revenue as collateral for a revenue bond would likely have minimal impact on the city's existing rating because the bond would be secured by dedicated revenue; blending additional borrowing sources (for example, general‑obligation capacity) could increase the project's size but would change the debt profile.
What comes next: council members asked staff to advance design concepts for the leading sites and to return with clearer cost estimates and financing scenarios. The work session recessed for caucus and planned to reconvene at 7:00 p.m.
