The article notes that Target is interested in the area, but is also eyeing a location at 33 and Freemansburg Road. It would be hard to imagine having two of them within minutes of one another.
The article also notes the developer of the center is seeking tax increment financing.
According to the article:
The TIF would allow Regency to use money it otherwise would pay for real estate taxes for its debt payments.Ron Angle at County Council has already questioned why the county should finance this developer's project.
Lower Nazareth, the Nazareth Area School District and Northampton County will each vote on the TIF and, if approved, select the percentage of the real estate tax that may be used.
It should be interesting to see what happens here.
4 comments:
What would we gain from providing another mega store tax relief? More traffic congestion.. pollution.. I'm interested as well.
Stilfx,
What would we gain? Why, another mega store with more traffic, more pollution and less tax revenue for our already cash strapped school district. THAT, is exactly what we would get.
Additionally, we would have another near by mega shopping center that would all but insure that any business in downtown Nazareth would go out of business.
One thing is for sure, you can NEVER accuse the Lower Nazareth Township supervisors of being smart of having the ability to make an intelligent decision.
To clarify as I understood it, each taxing authority (municipality, county and school district) would independently determine if they would approve the break.
I also have to disagree that a mega store would negatively impact existing downtown businesses in such a severe way (most of that damage has already been done with the advent of malls and strip malls many years ago).
I think a Target would mostly compete with Kmart, Walmart, and other similar businesses.
Probably my biggest gripe with the current supervisors (and I forget which two specifically) is that during the last local campaign their were signs and pictures of two supervisors leaning on a tractor touting land preservation.
Since then there has been significant development and obviously little done to slow it. Had they not made those campaign 'promises' I wouldn't find it to be so cynical.
Hopefully, the district will be smart enough to not approve the tax break. But, that might be giving them too much credit.
As for the downtown area, I will stand by my earlier comment. What is left of it will be impacted. More stores near by will draw away what few customers go there. Newer restaurants will draw them from the few that are still in business.
I like walking around main street, but only wish that it had more to offer. The development council I am sure is not happy with the potential for another strip mall going in so close.
As for the LNT supervisors, nothing they do surprises me. Telling a false campaign promise is just scraping the surface. Go to a BOS meeting and watch them verbally abuse anyone that dares to disagree with them. There is a lot more out there to disgust the populace than a false campaign promise.
But, in a glass half full type of way, at least they aren't sticking yet another truck terminal there.
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