Jerome URA reviews Starr Corp. proposal for Main/Lincoln redevelopment

City Administrator Mike Williams told the Jerome Urban Renewal Agency that Starr Corporation submitted the sole response to the Main/Lincoln Request for Proposals and provided a freehand rendering by Walker Ostler showing three phased buildings with mixed commercial, retail, office space, a recreation area and a plaza. Williams said Starr has tentatively secured early financing and that site preparation and demolition are projected later this year.

Commissioner Bryan Craig and other board members discussed the proposal’s programmatic elements, including ground-floor retail and restaurant space, residential units, and a second-floor recreation facility proposed as indoor pickleball courts. Mr. Williams said the proposal contemplates negotiating an exclusive right-to-negotiate agreement with the City and that Starr is open to modifying designs based on the board’s recommendations. The proposal also includes an option to lease Building B for a new City Hall and Council Chambers; the rendering shows a proposed footprint of about 9,500 square feet compared with the existing chambers’ roughly 5,000 square feet.

Board members flagged parking as a key constraint and asked staff to evaluate options with neighboring properties. Legal Counsel Meghan Conrad noted the RFP process contemplates an exclusive right-to-negotiate agreement and that the timeline in the proposal would need modification if the board pursued that path. Mr. Williams said Starr Corp. will be invited to the February meeting to present detailed plans and answer questions about design, phasing, management of recreation space, and financing.