Three members will be absent from this afternoon’s Metro Council meeting, which could have potentially serious implications for the Courtyard Marriott planned for downtown. At the meeting, the council is supposed to vote on the creation of a tax increment financing district to help finance construction of the hotel, which would be developed on a vacant parking lot at Third and Florida streets.
But the TIF ordinance needs seven votes to pass regardless of how many members attend the meeting, and with only nine members present it’s not clear the votes are there.
Council members Buddy Amoroso, Donna Collins-Lewis and Ronnie Edwards have notified the council administrator they are either out of town or cannot attend for other reasons. Of the nine members planning to be there, at least three are firmly in the pro-TIF column. John Delgado, Chandler Loupe and Tara Wicker have all told Daily Report in recent days they plan to support the measure. Joel Boe says he is probably a yes vote but is not confirmed. Trae Welch is in the other column, leaning against the measure.
“I think it’s time to let the free market reign downtown and put efforts into revitalizing other areas of the parish,” Welch says. “If we want this parish to thrive as a whole we have to put a concerted effort into improving our infrastructure and crime deterrence.”
Councilmen Ryan Heck and Scott Wilson—though unavailable for comment by this morning’s deadline—have previously suggested they, too, would vote against the TIF. Heck has been an outspoken critics of TIFs, even when they are to support projects in his district, such as the TIF approved for Costco. Chauna Banks-Daniel could not be reached for comment, and Donna Collins-Lewis says she remains undecided.
“I love downtown but I want to see the focus shift to north Baton Rouge,” she says. “The heart of the city is supposed to be downtown. But what if your city is on life support? We need to start concentrating on other areas of the parish.”
The Courtyard Marriott TIF was deferred at the council’s last regular meeting, nearly one month ago, because too few members were present to make up a quorum. However, sources familiar with the situation say even if more members had been present, the votes for the Courtyard TIF weren’t there. In the weeks since, developers for the project have been meeting behind the scenes with council members, trying to gain their support.
The developers, South Carolina-based Windsor Aughtry firm, have declined to comment on the process or their project as long as the TIF is before the council. Their local attorney, Charles Landry, has not returned numerous calls seeking comment.
Could TIF supporters again try to defer the measure until more council members are present? Yes, says council administrator Casey Cashio. As of press time this morning, however, no such move had been made.
The council convenes at 4 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. See the full agenda.
—Stephanie Riegel
