Phase One will completely fill out the site (later phases building up) and be financed privately by 70%. Any public dollars filling the gap will come from a partial tapping of the increase in new tax base or even site-specific new taxes paid only by Village patrons. As such, it doesn't sound like the City is agreeing to whatever Cordish wants.

Whatever the mix of sources, it always takes money to make money. In the case of the Village, the City will make more money from the beginning, even if a good share of new taxes generated by the Village helps pay for the development. But it also usually takes public money to build infrastructure shared by private development.

The current hole left by the old stadium is to be transformed into six new blocks of new streets, new sidewalks, and new lighting, among other public-works elements. With such infrastructure needed, the development's increase in taxes is the right source to pay for the public elements of such a major transformation. It's really no different than a mega-shopping center paying for road widening, but here, we get a much more sustainable product that will also add to the recent progress of Downtown's revitalization.