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Commission sets June 16 public hearings for Edge 3.0 financing, approves hearing dates for TIF and STAR bond districts
Summary
The City Commission voted to set public hearings on June 16 for proposed TIF and STAR bond districts tied to the K‑State Foundation’s Edge 3.0 project; commissioners asked for more financial detail before final approvals.
The Manhattan City Commission on May 5 voted to set public hearings for proposed public‑financing districts that would support the Kansas State University Foundation’s Edge 3.0 development.
Commissioner Fox moved to set a June 16 hearing on the proposed tax increment financing (TIF) district; the motion passed 4–1 with Commissioner Von Lintel voting No. A separate resolution to set a hearing on a STAR bond (sales tax revenue) district passed unanimously, 5–0. City staff and a Foundation representative emphasized that the commission was only scheduling hearings, not approving projects or financing tonight.
Greg Willems, president and CEO of the K‑State Foundation, described Edge 3.0 as a multi‑element program that could include an indoor track, arena, hotels, condos and restaurants and said, “Edge 3.0 is intended to be this quantum leap to help us catch up.” Willems and staff said the project’s preliminary capital stack is roughly $297,600,000 and that more detailed feasibility studies and project‑level numbers will be released before the June 16 public hearings.
Commissioners pressed for clearer, itemized dollar amounts and for earlier public release of the feasibility analyses. Staff said the next steps are publication of state feasibility studies and draft project plans between now and the public hearings; the commission will consider any district establishment and project plans in later votes.
