Riley Eubanks
The State Journal-Register
Fresh off her swearing-in ceremony, Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase voted to conditionally raise taxes in a group of ordinances passed by Springfield City Council.
The council at its meeting Tuesday was unanimous in voting for Purchase to become an alderwoman, filling a seat that was vacant for a couple of weeks. However, the council was once again divided in passing ordinances that provide conditional property, sales and hotel-motel tax rebates for Virginia-based Legacy Park Sports LLC, which plans to built a multimillion-dollar sports complex in the city.
An omnibus vote on those three tax rebate ordinances and an ordinance that conditionally raises the city’s hotel-motel tax from 7% to 8% passed 6-3 with Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory, Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams and Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin dissenting.
“I just wish we could’ve done it without the massive subsidy and tax break,” McMenamin said as he was explaining his vote. He, Williams and Gregory also voted against a developer agreement passed by the council in May. Williams still says a community benefits agreement should be drafted to outline how the complex can benefit the whole city.
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Williams seemed passionate in explaining his opposition to the developer agreement, saying he isn’t convinced that the project benefits the entire city and that hotels on the east side shouldn’t have their taxes increased if the developer can’t guarantee they’re going to be booked by sports tournament attendees.
“This (developer) did not get pinned down to do anything for Springfield as far as I’m concerned. … I’m for a sports complex. But if we’re going to do all this, build it and run it ourselves as a city. Or if he’s a big boy, be the private big boy you are,” Williams said. “Then we ain’t got nothing to say because he’s using his own money to build for Chatham.”
The east-side alderman raised concerns that the complex would primarily benefit the southwest side of Springfield and the neighboring village of Chatham. Part of the developer agreement was ensuring that the complex would be built within the Springfield School District.
The $65 million, 95-acre complex is slated to be built at a site off MacArthur Boulevard near Interstate 72 and will feature recreational activities in addition to sites for basketball, baseball and soccer tournaments, among other sports. Hotel accommodations are based on each tournament contract but it’s common for tournament organizers to provide attendees with a list of preferred hotel destinations, Ward 8 Ald. Erin Conley said.
Jim Arnold, a national business developer with Clearwater, Florida-based Sports Facilities Advisory, said in May the complex is expected to host anywhere between 60- to 100-team tournaments on the weekends. It’s unclear if the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will affect those plans.
Springfield capped its potential contribution to project at $30 million, meaning that’s the maximum amount that could be subsidized for the complex. SFA has to provide an update to council by early 2022, according to the developer agreement.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 