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Saddle Creek redevelopment draws neighborhood ire over lack of affordable units and displacement risks
Summary
A $103 million mixed-use redevelopment proposed for the Saddle Creek corridor drew extensive public comment, with neighbors and small-business advocates criticizing the lack of affordable housing and asking the developer to protect long-standing tenants; the proposal remains under consideration with required site-improvement conditions.
Developers seeking tax-increment financing and redevelopment approvals for a mixed-use Saddle Creek project presented a $103 million plan that would redevelop a large commercial site with multifamily housing (223 market-rate units) and other commercial uses. The council held an extended hearing and received substantial public testimony both for and against the proposal.
Opponents said the project includes no affordable housing component and warned it would displace immigrant-owned small businesses and longtime neighborhood vendors. Speakers urged the council to pause TIF approvals until the city finalizes a policy to incentivize or require affordable units in projects receiving public subsidy. One testifier said the area includes established, diverse businesses and that the redevelopment risked undermining the neighborhood’s social and economic fabric.
The developer, Mitch Holand, said Family Fare (the large anchor tenant) is leaving of its own accord and the project team is pursuing grocery and other tenants; he said the developer has committed to honor existing leases and that the redevelopment would be phased to reduce immediate displacement. City law and planning review of leases indicated many tenants have rent terms extending into 2027–2032. Council members pressed the developer for site improvements; the draft agreement requires widened sidewalks, perimeter landscaping, undergrounding utilities, pedestrian lighting, reduced driveway crossings, and limits on parking-lot design.
Council members acknowledged the need for reinvestment but raised concerns about the absence of affordable units. Several council members said the planning department and mayor’s office are drafting policy options to incentivize or require affordable housing in future TIF projects; city staff indicated those conversations are ongoing and could influence future approvals.
No final council vote on the Saddle Marketplace TIF and redevelopment items was recorded at the meeting; the matter remains under consideration pending further review and potential policy changes.
