BJC-Forest Park and the BOA President's race
As PubDef noted, the Board of Estimate and Review will hold a special meeting Wednesday at 10 a.m.There is no agenda posted online, but the BJC-Forest Park deal is likely the matter at hand.
The three-member Board of E&A must approve sign off on the deal for it to pass.
Question is, will this issue impact the race for President of the Board of Aldermen? Incumbent Board President James Shrewsbury opposes the proposed deal while Alderman Lewis Reed, 6th Ward, voted in favor of Board Bill 376CS which authorizes the lease between the city and BJC.
The group Protect Forest Park rounded up nearly 28,000 signatures, more than enough to swing the election one way or the other (and likely not far off the turnout for this March). The question is, will those who signed the petition vote? And will the candidates make an issue out of it?
Historically, the March primary has a low turnout. This election is likely to be close and a handful of votes in each ward could make or break a candidate.
Those green "Our Park is Not For Sale" signs are all over the city, in Shrewsbury strongholds as well as Reed's ward.
The issue seems tailor-made for the Shrewsbury, if he wants to make an issue of it. It's not a simple A or B situation, but "save our park" has a bit more zip than "investment and protection". Throw in an activist group working the television cameras everywhere they can, pushing the message, and the fact that it may draw in a few new voters and there may be a couple hundred votes in your favor.
Turning the issue against Shrewsbury may also be tough. Alderman Steven Gregali, Ward 14, called out Shrewsbury over his seemingly contrary positions when it comes to public space. Gregali asked how Shrewbury could support the creation of an animal shelter on a portion of Arsenal-Ellendale Park but oppose BJC expanding onto a portion of Forest Park.
Shrewsbury's response: The BJC deal is, essentially, giving public land to private interests while the animal shelter addresses a public need and no public money would be spent on it (construction is financed by the Animal House Fund. Operations will be paid for by the city which will transfer them from the old shelter once the new facility is open).
Shrewsbury really squares the circle by pointing out that the old shelter will be used to store materiel currently stored in Forest Park, freeing up greenspace in the park.
That said, the BJC deal will funnel $3.8 million a year into maintenance and upkeep for Forest Park, freeing up $1.6 million a year in city funds for other city parks. The deal would also allow the city's largest employer to expand its mammoth campus. The expansion will add more hospital beds to the busy hospital.
Will it be an issue? Or will the outcome of the E&A meeting give it the feeling of inevitability or victory, sapping it of any electoral weight?
Darlene will be the one determining the electoral weight of the issue. If Green votes no, Shrewsbury can point to Reed as a mayoral pawn. If Green votes yes, Reed can point to Shrewsbury as an impractical decision-maker.
Posted by Brian on Tue., Feb 6, 2007 at 12:58 PMhere is the E&A Agenda for tomorrow. There are a slew of bills for various city projects - not just BJC and Ballpark Village, that need E&A approval before the Board of Aldermen goes into recess:
AGENDA
SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE
BOARD OF ESTIMATE AND APPORTIONMENT
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2007
10:00 A.M.
ITEM PRESENTED FOR THE FIRST TIME:
1. #06.010 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #406, which is for issuance of up to $12,000,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue Notes for the Ballpark Lofts Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of three buildings at 900, 1000 and 1014 Spruce Street for 175 residential condominium units plus 160,000 sq. ft. of commercial, office and retail space and related parking at the total cost of $76.0-81.0 million.
2. #06.011 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #389, which is for issuance of up to $2,200,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue Notes for the Tudor Building/1818 Washington Ave. Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of a building at 1907-37 and 1818 Washington Avenue for 103 residential condominium units plus 30,000 sq. ft. of commercial space and related parking at the total cost of $33.9 million.
3. #.06.012 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #392, which is for the issuance of up to $1,075,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue Notes for the Ice House #6 Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of a building at 1101 S. Broadway/502 LaSalle Street for 22,000 sq. ft. of commercial space and related parking at the total cost of $5 million.
4. #06.013 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #384, which is for the issuance of up to $3,200,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue Notes for the GEW Lofts Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of five buildings at 2601-43
SPECIAL AGENDA
BOARD OF ESTIMATE AND APPORTIONMENT
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2007
PAGE 2
Washington Avenue, 60 residential condominium units plus 29,000 sq. ft. of commercial space and related parking at the total cost of $19.2 million.
5. #06.014 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #386, which is for the issuance of up to $400,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue Notes for The Foundry Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of a building at 1911 Locust Street for 12 residential condominium units and related parking at the total cost of $4.3 million.
6. #06.015 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #369, which is for the issuance of up to $1,300,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue Notes for the Moon Brothers Carriage Lofts Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of a building at 1700 Delmar at 17th Street for 43 residential condominium units plus 1,800 sq. ft. of commercial space and related parking at the total cost of $10.7 million.
7. #06.016 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #367, which is for the issuance of up to $1,550,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue Notes for the Grace Lofts TIF Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of a building at 1320-24 Washington Avenue for residential and commercial units and related parking at the total costs of $9.8 million.
8. #06.017 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #401, which is for the issuance of up to $2,500,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue Notes for the Grand and Shenandoah Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of one property and the construction of another for a total of 35,000 sq. ft. of commercial use plus parking for 150 automobiles at the total cost of $7.0 million.
9. #06.018 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #403, which is for the issuance of up to $1,000,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue
SPECIAL AGENDA
BOARD OF ESTIMATED AND APPORTIONMENT
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2007
PAGE 3
Notes for the 2200 Gravois Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of a building at 2200 Gravois and new construction for 16 rental apartment units plus 19,000 sq. ft. of commercial space and related parking at the total cost of $8.0 million.
10. #06.019 Request from the Director of Commercial Development for approval of Board Bill #399, which is for the issuance of up to $3,000,000 plus issuance costs principal amount of TIF Revenue Notes for the Pet Building Redevelopment Project. This project has provided for the rehabilitation of a building at 400 S. 4th Street for 118 apartment units plus 5,000 sq. ft. of commercial space and related parking at the total cost of $40.5 million.
11. #06.020 Request from the Director for Development for approval of Board Bill #410, which relates to the $387 million development of Ballpark Village Phase I, a mixed use office, retail, restaurant and entertainment facility to be developed on the northern approximately one-half of the site formerly occupied by old Busch Stadium, to be developed by the Cordish Company of Baltimore in partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals.
12. #06.021 Request from the Director for Development for approval of Board Bill #409, which relates to the $387 million development of Ballpark Village Phase I, a mixed use office, retail, restaurant and entertainment facility to be developed on the northern approximately one-half of the site formerly occupied by old Busch Stadium, to be developed by the Cordish Company of Baltimore in partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals.
13. #06.022 Request from the City Operations Manager for approval of Board Bill #375, which authorizes the St. Louis Municipal Finance Corporation to amend certain refunding bonds issued pursuant to Ordinance 66492 in order to refund the outstanding Forest Park Leasehold Revenue Improvement Bonds in the amount of $19,270,000.
SPECIAL AGENDA
BOARD OF ESTIMATED AND APPORTIONMENT
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2007
PAGE 4
14. #06.023 Request from the City Operations Manager for approval of Board
Bill #376 relating to parks; recommended by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment and the Board of Public Service providing for a further amendment to the lease agreement between the City of St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
15. #06.024 Request from the Comptroller's Office for approval of contracts
and leases for various City departments as listed on Exhibit A.
* * * * *
ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS THE BOARD MAY WISH TO DISCUSS
Keep up you opposition President Shrewsbury! Keep the big boys from ruining the park. Your decision is based on your strong feelings and there are still holes on the BJC property that they can build on or older buildings that can be torn down to make room for all they say that they need. Thank you for this.
Posted by BNB on Tue., Feb 6, 2007 at 5:19 PMHow many tens of millions of taxpayer dollars (your money) are on the table tomorrow morning???
TIFs, Ballpark Village
People. Get a grip on the gravity of this.
Posted by ???????????????? on Tue., Feb 6, 2007 at 8:02 PM
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