Commission debates private‑development option and funding paths for Acme project

The meeting included an extended discussion about whether a limited sale or private‑development parcel could help pay for public improvements at the Acme property.

Consultants described Concept 3 as an option that keeps required flood detention while allowing for potential private development along Old Greenwood Road and up to roughly 14–18 acres on the property's south end. One commissioner and developer participants cautioned that raw land without built amenities is a tenuous proposition for buyers. "I'm a developer, and why would I go buy land if there's not an amenity already there?" one panelist said, arguing that sales alone are an unlikely primary funding source.

Commissioners and consultants pointed to blended funding approaches used elsewhere — a mix of public CIP funding, grants and philanthropic anchors — and noted that groups like the Walton Family Foundation have supported large‑scale projects elsewhere. The team recommended moving to Part B to assemble a fundraising case statement, grant strategy and cost‑magnitude estimates to inform any decision about offering land for private use.