The Sioux City Council has delayed approval of a consulting agreement to help redevelop the downtown Badgerow Building, with some members questioning the cost.
That proposed agreement calls for spending $60,000 to Hunden Strategic Partners to help find developers for the historic structure.
The council was previously told several developers were interested in the Badgerow, so Mayor Bob Scott questioned adding a consultant to the mix at taxpayer expense:
OC……….why we need this. :14
The City Council has previously approved spending $750,000 to purchase the Badgerow Building from the Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust Company.
The Badgerow has sat empty at the corner of 4th and Jackson for years.
City Economic Development Director Marty Dougherty feels the consultant would help the process but the Mayor does not agree:
OC……….we used them but. :18
Dougherty, who has served as the city’s Economic Developer since 2006, and has been involved in several previous projects with historic tax credits, told the council the consultant would bring better expertise on the matter:
OC……………doing with historic tax credits. :32
Dougherty could not give the mayor specific names of projects the proposed consultant had worked with before.
Councilwoman Rhonda Capron also questioned the need for the consultant:
OC…………that’s kind of…yeah. ;18
Dougherty could not answer many of the council’s questions on the previous use of the consultant by the city or what their best projects were.
Councilman Dan Moore said he would look with favor on the proposal but moved to defer the proposal for a week.
The council voted to reconsider the proposal at their December 9th meeting.
