A group planning to build a large retail development is asking Cole County and Jefferson City governments for financial help in extending Mission Drive to the project site.
The Harvard Group LLC, a St. Louis-based partnership, confirmed plans earlier in November to begin construction on a development called The Galleria at Mission Drive that would include a shopping center and restaurants as well as a potential retirement center, hotel and office building.
The Harvard Group is under contract to purchase approximately 80 acres located across Missouri 179 from the new St. Mary's Hospital. The property's current owner, Jerry Green, at one time planned to develop it himself.
The group also is in talks with three surrounding landowners to purchase an additional 200-plus adjacent acres that would extend the property to Rock Ridge Road, managing partner Chris Kersten previously told the News Tribune.
The initial phase of construction would include extending Mission Drive to the new commercial area, which was previously formed as a Transportation Development District (TDD) by Green.
Cole County approved the area as a TDD in 2005, before it was annexed into Jefferson City limits. The TDD would fund the extension of Mission Drive by reimbursing costs through an additional 1 percent sales tax on retail purchases in the district. That TDD has not yet functioned since forming because no retail has been established within its bounds to produce the special sales tax.
At Tuesday's County Commission meeting, Kersten asked commissioners to provide $800,000 through the TDD and said the group would ask the same amount from the Jefferson City Council.
"We've got the assumption rights to take over that TDD," Kersten said in a previous interview. "We are committed to working with the city and the county to extend the right of way and the road to the existing PUD (planned unit development) ... which the city and county will benefit from."
Commissioners said Tuesday they needed to figure out where their portion would come from, but asked Kersten to keep them informed as to how the city was progressing with the project so they could avoid delays on work.