Retail, hotel and housing. Columbus plans mixed-use development around Synovus Park
As baseball season for the Columbus Clingstones begins next month, the Columbus Council is preparing to ask contractors for proposals to build a mixed-use development in South Commons near Synovus Park.
When the Columbus Council OK’d a lease with Diamond Baseball Holdings to bring the Minor League team to Muscogee County and upgrade Synovus Park, proponents of the plan told city leaders it could lead to up to $350 million in private investment in a mixed-use development.
The stadium’s construction is nearly finished, and city officials presented a request for proposal to the Columbus Council in a March 25 meeting.
Issuing the request for proposals will help the city find people interested in developing the area around the baseball stadium, Deputy City Manager Pam Hodge said during the March 25 meeting.
The city’s concept
City officials have an idea of what they would like to see in that area of town, Hodge said, but developers would not be beholden to their ideas.
This development could include a hotel, retail and office space, multifamily housing, a parking deck, and workforce housing, according to the city’s proposed plans.
Bringing in more green space to the area is important to city officials, Hodge said. Getting rid of the “sea of asphalt” was one goal of the development, Mayor Skip Henderson previously told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Another concern was ensuring the local skate park either remains in its current spot or is relocated somewhere else on the site, Hodge said.
Councilor Bruce Huff of District 3 wanted to see a redesign for the skateboard park in South Commons if it’s moved.
Stakeholders in the park would like to see it become a “competition” skate park, like what is seen on ESPN, Huff said.
“So not only can they enjoy it locally,” he said. “But they could bring in some revenue as far as not having to leave town to compete nationally. Maybe we could have some competitions like we do for white water rafting.”
If the skate park is redesigned and moved, Hodge said, there is an opportunity to address that idea.
Although the development authority would issue the request for proposals if approved, she said, this move would not transfer the land to the development authority.
Will Columbus be able to collect tax from new development?
Councilor Charmaine Crabb, of District 5, was concerned about the area for development being included in a Tax Allocation District. These districts are established to spur investment by financing certain redevelopment activities through pledged future incremental increases in property taxes generated by the new development.
When the district was set, there was a base set, so a certain amount of property tax revenue goes to the city and the school district, Hodge said. Anything above that base amount is allocated to a separate fund that’s managed by the city and is used for infrastructure and other needs.
This area is part of the 6th Avenue/Liberty District Tax Allocation District and has $2.4 million in it, Hodge told Crabb. Council already authorized $1.6 million of that money to go towards A.J. McClung Stadium, Hodge said.
If the development is in a Tax Allocaton District, Crabb said, the city wouldn’t be able to collect taxes from it.
“We’re not going to make the money that everybody’s saying that we’re going to make, as long as it’s in a TAD,” she said.
While the property tax revenue from the development would go into the allocation, Hodge said, sales tax revenue from the development would be beneficial.
The council could “sunset” the Tax Allocation District, Henderson said, which is within their ability to do. Some of the money would help A.J. McClung Stadium and whoever is chosen as the developer, Henderson said. Once the development is there, he said, the money will start coming in every year.
From there, the council could set a ceiling on the district and let it sunset, Henderson said.
“Now you’ve got that same money going straight into the general fund,” he said. “And then it’s up to the council. You could do whatever you wanted with it.”
The council could identify certain needs they’d want the money to go towards, Henderson said, or it could supplement the general fund during the normal budget process.
“We should put something together so that we use that tool for what it was intended, which is to get that development up so that long, long term it will generate revenue for the city of Columbus,” Henderson said. “Whether it goes in your right pocket or your left pocket, there’s money coming into the citizens of Columbus. Otherwise, that baseball (field) was a $50 million foolish thing to do, frankly.”
More work needs to be done on the request for proposals, but it’s expected to come back before the council soon.
