Chester shopping center hinges on KOZ tax breaks

I caught the tail end of the Wellington Ridge Shopping Plaza presentation at the Booker T. Washington center in Chathem Estates.

The center has soft commitments from Dollar General Market, Pizza Hut, Checkers and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. Retailers include Rainbow Shops, KicksUSA and dd’s Discounts. And, there are just about as many other storefronts available to rent.

When I arrived, the conversation was centered on the project hinging on whether the tenants get the Keystone Opportunity Zone tax savings which are set to expire soon. Without them, it looks like the deal won’t go through.

One side argued that the KOZ perk will rob the city and schools of much needed tax dollars and building the shopping center would not be a good idea without those tax dollars.

The other side supports the benefit of KOZ tax breaks for these new tenants to build their start-up businesses in Chester. By the time the tax breaks expire, they should be well established and stable enough to afford paying full taxes.

I’d like to see the KOZ get extended for at least a couple years for this site in order to turn that worthless plot of grass into a valuable piece of property. 

Sure, it would be nice to get more tax dollars but the city and schools can afford to not earn taxes they currently don’t earn in lieu of construction, jobs, and a neighborhood facelift. 

And, didn’t Senator Pileggi recommend extending or creating KOZs in our area when the refineries closed last year? If so, someone give him a call and suggest he tack a couple more years at Wellington Ridge. 

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