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Council stresses small-business support and cautions against divesting industrial park land
Summary
Council members warned that BEDC land in the industrial park has strategic value for recruitment and urged caution before selling or repurposing it; they also raised concerns about the EDC's small-business loan program and its past defaults.
Several council members cautioned against quickly divesting land in the industrial park, noting that shovel-ready parcels and zoning make the land valuable for recruiting industry. One council member said the land had been on the market for decades and urged careful fiduciary planning before any disposition.
Council Member Plunkett highlighted successful past uses of BEDC funds, pointing to Burleson Crossing and Buc-ee’s as major sales-tax drivers that were supported with EDC incentives. At the same time, staff acknowledged problems with small-business loan administration: the first low-interest loan defaulted and the revolving program has been difficult to scale.
Staff recommended engaging a real-estate firm to market BEDC land if council chose to sell, and urged continued coordination between development services and the EDC so the city does not lose deals for lack of infrastructure readiness. Councilors asked staff to include an asset-disposition plan and small-business program review in the requested exit/transition analysis.
