Less than two months ago, the 5-5 vote of the Jefferson City Council ostensibly killed a controversial $56.8 million proposal to use tax increment financing (TIF) to redevelop the shabby Truman Hotel site in the 1500 block of Jefferson Street. The plan needed a two-thirds vote for approval. RIP, Truman Hotel revival.
Former mayor George Hartsfield sauntered into City Hall on Monday night and settled into a front row seat. When Mayor Carrie Tergin reached No. 16 on the agenda - "Presentations from the Gallery" - Hartsfield rose and, without so much as a one-page synopsis in hand, advised the council that hotelier Vivek Puri was going to take another run at re-purposing the Truman and its grounds.
Puri will ask the council to approve a resolution beginning the process of declaring the Truman and its environs blighted and, as such, eligible for urban renewal through certification by the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) and the city's Planning and Zoning Commission before final approval by the council.
Aware of the dictates of the item on the agenda - "all individuals will be limited to three minutes without exception" - Hartsfield invoked for-the-good-of-the-local-economy language to explain his presence. Puri, chief financial officer of Puri Group of Enterprises, was out of town, Hartsfield said, or he would have been there to make the presentation. Hartsfield said Puri would work with City Counselor Ryan Moehlman and a couple of unidentified councilman to draft the resolution.
The newest of the Puri concepts, without details as of Monday night, will be a $56 million, two-phase project which, when completed, will boast 160 full-time service sector jobs.
"This has nothing to do with a TIF; this is a completely different approach," Hartsfield said in an interview after the council adjourned to executive session. "It's just like the Capitol Avenue urban renewal project we heard the council discuss in positive terms tonight."
Hartsfield said he was supporting and working on behalf of this newest Puri effort because Jefferson City's economy was stagnant. "If we were talking about 160 new manufacturing jobs, the council, everyone would be all for it," he said.
Hartsfield arrived in Jefferson City in 1969, served one term on the council, 1977-79, and was elected mayor for two terms from 1979-87. Former Gov. Bob Holden appointed him to a term on the state Gaming Commission in 2003. "I'm not a lawyer. I'm not a lobbyist," he offered in way of self-deprecating humor. "I'm just a guy who believes this is something which would be good for our town."
The council did discuss, albeit briefly, the Capitol Avenue urban renewal project, which is meandering back through the LCRA and the Planning and Zoning Commission for another, final vote of approval.
Council Rick Mihalevich asked about the status of the Capitol Avenue project. He was advised by Planning Director Janice McMillan a special meeting of that body had been scheduled Nov. 17 to vote on Capitol Avenue. She said she did not know when LCRA would conduct its subsequent meeting.
Mihalevich said given the fact the council would be asked to condemn some properties to enable the urban renewal, he wanted the project to maintain its positive momentum. McMillan responded it was uncertain what properties might require demolition in the 38-acre Capitol Avenue renewal, but reminded Mihalevich and the other council members the goal was to restore and rehabilitate as many of the historic structures near downtown as possible.
In other decisions Monday, the council approved a budget maneuver for $322,962, representing an insurance settlement for repairs, clean up and content replacements at the Washington Park Ice Arena following the flash floods which devastated the popular facility in August and September.
The council also approved a $16,537 grant from MoDOT for the city transit system, okayed an $8,400 per year lease with Nick's Family Restaurant for space inside the Jefferson City Memorial Airport and affirmed a $263,865 Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for low income housing, infrastructure and blight removal.
The previously announced Dec. 5 City Council meeting was moved to Dec. 6.
Fourth Ward Councilman Glen Costales announced he and Councilman Carlos Graham will host a town hall meeting to address concerns about stormwater control at 10 a.m. Saturday, at the Capital West Events Center, 1315 Fairgrounds Road.