An item that brought some interesting debate during Tuesday (Sept 15) evening’s Danville City Council meeting was the Council’s vote to use TIF (Tax Increment Funding) District money to purchase, from the Vermilion Housing Authority, the currently not-in-use parking lot at the southeast corner of North and Hazel Streets.
Of the 12 twelve aldermen present at Tuesday’s meeting, the one “no” vote on this came from Alderman and Mayoral Candidate Doug Ahrens. His point was that with some downtown businesses suffering water and mold damage because owners of adjacent buildings are not properly caring for their roofs, the city needs to put those problems higher on the TIF list than just purchasing a parking lot. Ahrens says slow water and mold damage is just as bad as immediate damage from a wall falling down.
AUDIO: Doing it slowly through water and mold is no different in my opinion, and it needs to be a higher priority. The focus of the TIF funds should be on preserving the businesses that are viable; and if we have structures that we already know today need to go, let’s get rid of them so they can’t damage others.
Alderman Ahrens (center, 1st picture), Mayor Williams (center, 2nd picture) and Alderwoman Teague (center, 3rd picture) all give their opinions on city’s purchase with TIF funds of parking lot on SE corner of North and Hazel.
But Alderwoman and Mayoral Candidate Tricia Teague stated that with Downtown Danville, Inc president Kendred Tillotson at the Council meeting stating support for the purchase of the parking lot, she’s certainly convinced that both concerns; more parking for more downtown businesses, and taking care of buildings damaging other buildings, can be approached.
Downtown Danville, Inc president Kendred Tillotson addresses Danville City Council.
AUDIO: We have to stop bleeding AND try to grow at the same time. This does something that promotes growth. It promotes growth for the area and for the businesses in that area. We need to do more to grow our downtown. And if the businesses want it, and we know that it’s going to help them grow and also expand some of the offerings downtown; then I’m all for it. I’m a proponent of growth.
Mayor Williams agreed with Teague on this one, also saying TIF funds could attack both priorities.
AUDIO: I think if we are able to provide additional parking, and we bring additional businesses down there; then we bring more revenue into the TIF district. And then we have more money to address some of these large problems that we have, such as the old Hartland, which is the old Sears building. The more revenue, the more business we can bring into downtown; the more revenue we have to address problems.
In other action Tuesday evening, the City Council passed items forwarded to them involving the purchase of additional surveillance cameras, funding for more engineering work on the proposed extension of the Kickapoo Rail Trail, and funding for pedestrian and other accommodations on Seminary, Bowman, and Voorhees.
