LEWISTON – An ambitious lower Lisbon Street redevelopment plan is not without its drawbacks, councilors admitted Tuesday.

Councilors approved a plan Tuesday night designed to bring Oxford Networks, Northeast Bank and a coalition of Lewiston-Auburn economic development groups to the corner of Lisbon and Maple streets, calling it a bold set of steps designed to revitalize the city.

“A 100 percent TIF district is something I don’t like to do,” Councilor Roger Philippon said. “But it is incumbent upon us to consider these ideas if the alternative is to do nothing.”

Councilors passed the development agreement 5-2, with councilors Marc Mason and Norm Rousseau voting against it.

City and business leaders unveiled their plan to revamp the city’s southern gateway along Lisbon Street last week. According to plans, the city would join developers Stanley Sklar of the Franklin Property Trust and businesses Oxford Networks and Northeast Bank in redeveloping the block of buildings surrounded by Lisbon, Maple and Canal streets.

Plans call for three new office buildings, new sidewalks, buried utilities and a parking garage on the block. The deal would bring between 200-300 jobs to the area and could be complete within three years.

The city’s share of the work involved agreeing to return 100 percent of real estate property taxes to developers for 20 years, leasing the land for a 200-400 car parking garage, cleaning up the four-story building at 415 Lisbon St. and agreeing to repair sidewalks, roads and utilities around the area. That amounts to about $7.5 million in public investment, Bennett said.

Bennett said the TIF district sounds more dramatic than it is. The city would return all real estate property taxes created out of new value on the land. Since the value of that area hasn’t increased much in 30 years, the city isn’t losing much.

Bennett said the city can also count on getting about $50,000 new personal property taxes, on the equipment the new businesses will bring in.

“If we do nothing here, it’s reasonable to assume that the values there will stay the same if not go down,” Bennett said. “If we do the TIF, we get the development and we collect the personal taxes.”

Bennett said the city also would agree to land swap with the Franklin Trust later on, trading a piece of land for the land under the parking garage.

Downtown business owners applauded the city.

“Most downtown redevelopment that’s come out of the city in the past few years has amounted to planters and awnings – just window dressings,” said Auburn resident John Spruill. Spruill plans to open a coffee shop on Lisbon Street this summer.

“I’m very encouraged to see the city finally figure out where the beef is,” Spruill said. “I applaud the opportunity.”

But the matter wasn’t unanimous. Councilor Marc Mason said he opposed renting land under a proposed parking garage from the Franklin Property Trust at all.

Questions

Councilor Norm Rousseau said he felt the council was being rushed to make a long-term decision. He felt the TIF was too broad, disagreed with the parking garage and suggested councilors table the matter.

“I have questions and questions and questions and I don’t see any of them answered,” Rousseau said. “I don’t think we are doing the taxpayers justice by passing this so quickly.”

Bennett chided Rousseau, saying he and Development Director Greg Mitchell would have gladly answered questions personally during the week.

“I don’t recall you asking questions of either Greg or me,” Bennett said.


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