The Jefferson City Council unanimously supported a resolution to allow further discussion on a potential long-term lease for a portion of the old Missouri State Penitentiary site.
At the council meeting Monday, a resolution was approved authorizing Mayor Carrie Tergin and City Administrator Steve Crowell to "explore opportunities to partner with public and private groups for development at MSP."
Any development would be on 47 acres of the 142-acre site and the resolution states the Missouri Office of Administration is willing to consider a long-term lease on the property. It also specifies "a key factor to the long-term lease is that the city and its partners commit to construction of the access road referred to in the (MSP) master plan as "MSP Parkway.'"
Tergin specified the resolution simply allows her to continue discussions she's been having with representatives of the Office of Administration on the potential use of a portion of the old prison site that sits on Jefferson City's east side.
Several council members specified the resolution does not commit the city to anything financially, but continued discussions may lead to future proposals being brought to the council for funding consideration.
Tergin has said she would use the existing MSP master plan, put together by the Missouri State Penitentiary Redevelopment Commission, as a blueprint for possible development on the site.
The MSP Commission's master plan, which was developed in 2003, specifies preservation of Housing Units 1, 3 and 4, as well as the upper yard wall, towers and gas chamber. It shows the MSP Parkway designed to extend from Lafayette Street through the site to Chestnut Street and includes plans for office and retail space, hotels, exhibition and multipurpose space, an auditorium, a farmers market, and an interpretive center. The plan also included 22,000 square feet of conference center space.
Fifth Ward Councilman Mark Schreiber said the potential development of the prison site would be a great benefit for Jefferson City, Cole County and the entire state.
In other business, the council tabled discussion on a proposed resolution outlining the allocation of what would be funded in the renewal of the city's half-cent capital improvement sales tax, which will be placed on the August ballot. Cole County has already kicked off its campaign for the renewal of its capital improvement sales tax, which will be on the April 5 ballot.
The city's sales tax is in its sixth five-year installment since starting in 1987 and typically is used to fund what are seen as one-time purchases or large projects and equipment.
The breakdown for departments largely would remain the same as previous years, with public works receiving 59 percent, or $14.75 million; public safety receiving 19 percent, or $4.75 million; IT/GIS receiving 2 percent, or $500,000; and contingency funds making up another 10 percent, or $2.5 million.
Parks, which normally receives 10 percent, or $2.5 million, would receive a little less under the proposed resolution after a previous work session led to council members opting to take $250,000 from the parks allocation and putting that towards critical infrastructure and building modifications.
Council members specifically mentioned the possible replacement of Fire Station No. 2 on East McCarty Street, which likely would cost somewhere around $1.5 million to $1.8 million, and modifications to the Jefferson City Memorial Airport terminal building.
Both the fire station and the terminal were built in the 1960s.