Council approves Corner Post public infrastructure district to finance new grocery‑anchored commercial center

Washington City Council voted Feb. 25 to create the Corner Post Public Infrastructure District (PID), a financing vehicle for public infrastructure needed to support a planned grocery‑anchored commercial development at the northwest corner of George Washington Boulevard and Washington Fields Road.

Developer Evergreen Development and city staff presented the PID concept during a public hearing. The PID boundary covers commercial parcels only; Evergreen said the anchor would be a roughly 56,000‑square‑foot grocery plus about 27,000 square feet of additional retail and service space. The developer described substantial horizontal infrastructure needs: road widenings, curb, gutter, sidewalks/trails, off‑site sewer extension and on‑site grading and stormwater systems.

Finance and governance: the developer proposed a PID with a maximum mill levy capped at 5 mills under local ordinance (the statute allows higher levies in other circumstances). A municipal advisor and outside counsel reviewed the governing documents; the developer expects to use PID bond proceeds to fund eligible public infrastructure while the district’s levy would be paid by properties inside the PID area. Marcus Keller (financial adviser) and Betsy from the municipal advisor team answered council questions about disclosure to tenants and the investor risk profile.

Projected fiscal impacts: Evergreen said the project could add an estimated $444,000 in annual sales tax to the city by year 10 and produce about 246 new jobs; impact fees were estimated at roughly $675,000. The developer also said certain developer‑paid costs (mass grading, screening walls) are not eligible for PID proceeds; PID proceeds are limited to public infrastructure constructed to city standards.

Council action and vote: after a public hearing with no speakers in opposition, Councilman Henderson moved and Councilman Ivy seconded a resolution to form the Corner Post PID. The council approved the resolution on a 4‑1 vote; staff noted that the PID governing documents and trustee appointments are included in the packet and that the PID will operate independently of city debt (city assets cannot be pledged for PID bonds).

What happens next: creation of the PID allows the developer to proceed with bond financing and infrastructure contracting subject to the governing documents; PID debt will be repaid from levies on the benefiting properties, and the district dissolves once obligations are satisfied.