City Looks at TIF District for Woodman’s

The is looking at establishing a tax incremental finance district to entice Woodman’s Food Market to the corner of East Main Street and Highway 164.

A public hearing about the district’s boundaries will be held at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at City Hall, 201 Delafield St.

A memo from Steve Crandell, community development director and interim city administrator, stated that any partnership with Woodman’s requires a developer’s agreement.

“TIF allows a city to use the taxes generated by new or improved properties in the district to pay for improvements that attract new development,” Crandell states in the memo. “Theses revenues are used to finance many worthwhile public improvements in the district such as sanitary sewers, storm sewers, water mains and the street improvements and developer incentives.

“… Tax Incremental Districts No. 21 is being created to encourage/promote redevelopment on property privately owned which is blighted. The creation of TID No. 21 will have a very favorable impact on the growth and prosperity of the area and the entire city.”

The memo states the city would provide public finance for Woodman’s but it does not say to what level or how much is being considered to bring Woodman’s to the vacant Spancrete site. Any funding that would be provided to the grocery store chain for the redevelopment of the property would have to first get approved publicly through the Finance Committee and then move to the entire Common Council.

Mayor Jeff Scrima said Friday the TIF is necessary to bridge a gap to bring Woodman’s to the community.

Meanwhile, a public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 during the Waukesha Common Council meeting as the council is being asked to approve rezoning the property from an industrial use to a commercial use. The Plan Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to recommend the Common Council change the zoning.

is expected to open in summer of 2013 at the site. Construction on the grocery store is planned for 2012, pending all government approvals.