TAX PLAN KEY to MALL $70-Million Project Could Open in Late 1989
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mxdmtn HfralJi Manchester — A City of Village Charm Saturday, Jan. 23, 1988 30 Cents TAX PLAN KEY TO MALL $70-million project could open in late 1989 By Nancy Concelman Manchester Herald The >70 million Mall at Buckland Hills — possibly larger than one originally proposed — could be completed by the fall of 1M9 if directors agree to a seven-year tax freese worth >9.5 million, the developer says. Joseph LeDuc, senior development director for the Homart Development Co. of Chicago, said during a news conference Friday that Homart will present a proposal next week to the Manchester Board of Directors to finance the road and utility improvements related to the mall, estimated now at $15 million, through a 7-year tax freeze on 100 acres of the 115-acre mall site. The tax freeze would allow Homart to recapture $9.5 million by freezing the real estate tax assessment at a lower percentage rate. Most directors interviewed Friday night were non-committal on the proposal. The mall is expected to employ between 1,500 and 2,000 full- and part-time employees, LeDuc said. Physical plans lor thA^mall will remain the same, but the size may increase, LeDuc said. The details of Homart’s ^ n s were disclosed just months after a slim^nnargin of voters defeated a Nov. 3 referendum^alling for $13 million in tax-increment bonds to p^t^rj^rroad and utility improvements. After that defeat. LeDuc had said Homart was considering scaling the project down or moving it to South Windsor. But he said Friday the mall would rennain at the proposed 785,000 squ are-f^ and may even get larger. " I f anything, the 785 will Increase,” LeDuc said. ‘ He also Announced Friday that adjacent landowners 1-84 Associates, which consists of Trammell Crow Co. of Dallas, Robert Weinberg of Manchester and John Finguerra of New York, finalized an agreement with Homart Friday morning to contribute $3 million to the utility improvements. Homart AP Photo will pay the remaining $2.5 million and would GOINS TO COURT FOR THEIR CAUSE — Police take into custody pay full taxes at the end of the seven-year period. anti-abortion demonstrators at the Supreme Court in Washington on Finguerra, who would not confirm reports Friday. An estimated 50,000 people protested on the ISth anniversary Wednesday of an agreement among develop of the legalization of abortion by the Supreme Court. Thirty-five ers. plans to build office and commercial demonstrators were arrested after crossing a police line at the edge of buildings on about 1 million square-feet of land next to the mall site. Weinberg proposes the building's sprawling plaza. They were arrested as they prayed, and mixed-use development for more than 60 acres some had to be carried off when they refused to walk with the police ' Please turn to page 3 who arrested them. Story on page 8. feature sectioi^ .'itv wr-j Dr. Crane's Quiz 111 mall tax cut plan 1. Which one of these is inappropriate in this By Andrew J. Dovls generai grouping? Manchester Herald PONTIAC ATTILA SITTING BULL TECUMSEH Directors are offering no promises now to a Chicago 2. The name "B ig B en" shouid suggest which company that wants a 19.5 million tax break todevelop river? 5^ a $70 million mall at Buckland Hills. HUDSON NILE DANUBE THAMES But many directors interviewed Friday said they would like to see a mall open in Manchester. ’Their 3. A person who used a Stradivarius probabiy comments came after the Homart Development Corp. e m p lo y ^ which one of these in childhood? of Oiicago proposed that the town offer the company a MICROMETER METRONOME IHTER BOX seven-year tax freeze that would help pay for $15 PEDOMETER million in road and utility improvements at the 115-acre site. 4. Noah first sent out which spy to see if there was ’The mall is proposed for a 3$0-acre tract off Buckland any dry land? Road near I-$4 East. EAGLE DOVE RAVEN PIGEON Directors Stephen T. Cassano, ’Theunis Werkhoven, 5. Which nicknamed creature has only 2 legs? Kenneth N. Tedford, James F. Fogarty, Ronald Osella MICKEY POLLY NANNY ELSIE and Geoffrey Naab all said they wanted to study the proposal further before taking a stand. 6. Try to match the Biblicai fathers at the left with Homart will present a proposal to the Board of their daughters at the right. Directors next week asking for the tax freeze. In (a) Job ..........................................(v) Dinah addition to the $9.5 million Homart hopes to raise (b) J a co b ................................... (w) Michal through the freeze, adjacent landowners who would (c) D a v id .................................. (x) Jemima benefit from the utility improvements will contribute (d) R e u e i.....................................(y) Tamar $3 million to the project. (e) King Saui ........................... (z) Zipporah Voters on Nov. 3 narrowly defeated a referendum Reginald PInto/Manchaster Herald question calling for the utilities and road improve Answers in Classified section ments to be funded by $13 million in tax-increment ROCKIN' ‘ROUND THE CLOCK — Manchester Samaritan Shelter. Partici bonding. About 17 young members of the Center pants raised money through pledges for Congregational Church rocked around the Rock-a-thon, which began at 8 p.m. ’THOUGH CASSANO said he would like to study Homart’s proposal further, he added he was in favor of Dtvid Kool/Mxnchmter Harald Connecticut Weather the clock Friday at the church, at 11 Friday and was scheduled to end at 8 a mall in Manchester. The latest offer may have a Center St., to raise money for the a.m. today. better chance of gaining acceptance because it has EXPLAINING PLANS — Joseph LeDuc, Buckland Hills, explains Homart's prop been accepted previously. a senior development director for the osal for tax-freeze financing Friday at a Central, Eastern Interior, Southwest Interior: ’The JC Penney Warehouse was given a similar tax Homart Development Co. of Chicago, news conference in the Whiton Saturday, sunny early. Becoming cloudy in the break when the warehouse opened about five years developer of the proposed Mall at Memorial Library. afternoon. High 30 to 35. Saturday night, cloudy with a ago. JC Penney is the leading taxpayer in town. Independent prosecutors “ That’s exactly what we did with JC Penney,” chance of flurries late at night. Low 15 to 20. Sunday, cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. High 30 to 35. Cassano said. “ It worked there, it can work here." West Coastal, East Coastal: Saturday, sunny early. Werkhoven, the only directortoattenda Friday news Becoming cloudy in the afternoon. High 30 to 35. conference announcing the proposal, also said he Buckland mall plan revived Saturiay night, cloudy. Low around 20. Sunday, cloudy wanted to study the matter further. ruled unconstitutional “ The presentation was good," said Werkhoven. “ But Continued from page 1 adding that the plan “ is not as good hours” of starting construction, with a 40 percent chance of snow. High 30 to 35. I haven’t seen the documents. I’d to to see them before I a financing...package as we in LeDuc said. WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. K. Deaver. He was prosecuted by A different three-judge panel of make a judgment.” of land near the site and ’Trammell itially sought.” "W e just have to reach an Cinniit Court of Appeals ruled, 2-1, an independent counsel. the Circuit Court of Appeals last Director Ronald Osella said he’d also like to take a Crow plans to build 1,000 luxury LeDuc said, “ We feel that we are agreement with the developers and Lottery Winners on Friday that the law passed in the Deaver’s lawyers immediately year upheld the legality of the closer look at Homart’s proposal, but would strongly apartments next to the site. submitting a fair proposal to the town and we will be in a position wake of the Watergate scandal filed a moUon to vacate "the backup appointments to Walsh. favor another referendum vote. “ I think we’ve gone a long way in community. It’s a public and then to start construction imme under which independent counsels unconstitutionally obtained jury Independent counsel James C. “ It would seem logical at first glance,” Osella said. bringing the area developers into private partnership.” diately,” LeDuc said. " It would be are appointed to investigate allega- verdicts" against him and to McKay, who is prosecuting former “ But I can’t be in favor of it until I get my questions the project. ’Their interests are Homart’s thought that we could Connecticut daily Friday; 869. Play Four: 0641. Although development plans are Uons of wrongdoing by high govern dismiss the charges against him. presidential aide Lyn C. Nofziger answered. I ’m of the mind at this point to call for a much more like Homart’s and I reach an agreement within a Connecticut “ Lotto" Friday; 4, 6, 11, 22, 35, 40. the same as those approved last ment officials Is unconstitutional. Deaver faces a maximum 15-year on illegal lobbying charges, also special referendum. With this critical impact, think that’s what has caused them month.” year, inflation and additional con The decision said courts lacked prison term for lying to a grand jury accepted a backup appointment. shouldn’t we go to the people?" to stay,” LeDuc said. Homart owns a total of 115 acres, constitutional jurisdiction to ap and a House subcommittee that Friday’s ruling dealt with a LeDuc said Homart and officials struction costs caused by the delay but will use only 100 acres for the on the project have increased the point prosecutors, a function re investigated his lobbying activities.