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DeKalb officials report nearly $36M in TAD funds; Lula Hills redevelopment shows largest projected TAD award
Summary
County staff told the PEX committee the five TADs hold just under $36 million, with $8.5 million still administered by the county; pending applications total $85 million in development costs and requested TAD funding near $25 million. Officials clarified a $70 million TAD award for Lula Hills reflects a 20-year pay-as-you-go projection (base $35M public-infrastructure award).
Tiffany Wills, DeKalb's vice president overseeing tax-allocation-district (TAD) activity, briefed the PEX committee on the county’s TAD finances and pipeline.
Wills said combined TAD fund balances across DeKalb’s five districts total just under $36 million, with roughly $8.5 million still held by the county from earlier accumulations. The county reports about $8 million in net income for the year to date. Wills listed prior awards by district and said there are 10 pending TAD applications with total development costs of about $85 million and total TAD funding requests just under $25 million; not all requests will be fully funded.
When asked about an apparent outlier, Wills explained the $70 million figure attached to the Lula Hills (North DeKalb Mall) redevelopment is an inflated, 20-year estimate: the base TAD award is $35 million directed to public infrastructure and the $70 million reflects the projected payout over a multi-decade reimbursement schedule tied to expected tax increments on a roughly $900 million total project.
Wills said pending requests range from small business grants (~$55,000) to infrastructure requests in the millions. She also described new programs open across the five TADs (pre-development loan fund, urban renewal fund and a small-business property improvement grant) and noted pay-as-you-go and bond products are only available in three TADs because of termination dates in 2029.
Why it matters: TAD awards are a central tool for funding public infrastructure to enable large private investment. The Lula Hills project is the single largest development tied to a TAD award on the county’s tracker and will shape near-term debate about pay-as-you-go reimbursements and project oversight.
What’s next: Staff will continue underwriting pending applications, complete due diligence, and bring awards to the board for approval as final numbers become available.
