St. Paul officials have agreed that taxpayers will cover infrastructure improvements around the proposed soccer stadium and forgo property taxes at the stadium site — and some City Council members say that's enough.
Council Member Rebecca Noecker will propose a resolution Wednesday opposing tax-increment financing (TIF) at the 25-acre Midway Shopping Center property next to the planned Minnesota United stadium. The Midway property is part of a 34.5-acre site at Snelling and University avenues that would be transformed by the developers' master plan.
"We trust that [the stadium] will be a catalyst," Noecker said about development of the Midway property. "I don't think creating a new TIF district on the site is warranted."
Tax-increment financing diverts additional tax revenue that a new development generates and uses it to help cover certain development costs. It is intended to spur growth where it would not otherwise occur, or pay for public improvements.
The public has already been pouring money into the area with projects like the Green Line light rail and the A Line bus rapid transit, and the city's recent agreement to fund $18.4 million in infrastructure updates around the stadium, Noecker said.
The developer's plans for the Midway site show mixed-use buildings with predominantly retail on the ground floor, and other uses above, including office space, housing, a hotel and movie theater.
City officials will consider the master plan in August and tell the developer what they would allow, and then the developer will try to build out the site, said Tonya Tennessen, spokeswoman for Mayor Chris Coleman. Until then, it is too early to dismiss a TIF district, she said.
"As with any development, until you know what a potential deal is, why would you take something off the table?" Tennessen said.