City leaders have agreed to provide $1 million in tax increment financing to help renovate a downtown building that will serve as home to Indiana University’s master of architecture program.
The Columbus City Council on Tuesday voted 6-0 to allow the Columbus Redevelopment Commission to spend $1 million for the project at the former Republic building, 333 Second St. City Councilman Frank Miller was absent from the meeting.
Speaking to the council on behalf of the project were Heather Pope, city redevelopment director; John Burnett, president and CEO of the Community Education Coalition; and Adam Thies, Indiana University assistant vice president of capital planning and facilities.
The funding approved by the council is half the amount expected to be needed for upgrades to the building, which will undergo renovations later this month.
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IU officials in April announced a plan to house the new J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program of Indiana University program in the building starting this fall. The education coalition helped raise a second $1 million in a public-private investment to match the $1 million provided by the city.
The request for funding, which had received initial approval by the redevelopment commission May 21, needed to go before the council since any expenditure of more than $500,000 requires subsequent council approval.
Columbus resident Ken Fudge approached the council with concerns about whether the city had legal authority to provide $1 million in TIF funding for the project. He also questioned the move during the redevelopment commission’s meeting in May and has contended that the city was acting illegally.
City Attorney Alan Whitted told Fudge that the matter had been reviewed by several attorneys, and that the city is within its rights to provide funding for the project.
Fudge said he contacted the State Board of Accounts on Monday with his concerns and noted that he believes the matter should have been reviewed by the state agency before the city decided to commit money toward the renovations.
“I don’t want funds used for what it’s not intended for,” Fudge said after the meeting.
