City staff released answers to frequently asked questions about Mission Gateway ahead of upcoming planning commission and city council meetings related to the project. File image courtesy city documents.
The city of Mission has released a list of frequently asked questions about the Mission Gateway project as the city considers the fifth version of the plan to remake the former site of Mission City Mall.
Why it matters: Although the project has been in the spotlight for more than 15 years, the city says there remain several misconceptions about what can be done at the southwest corner of Roe Avenue and Johnson Drive, and the FAQ document released this week attempts to answer some of those.
What they’re saying: City Administrator Laura Smith said the city put out similar FAQ lists for previous iterations of the project, but it’s been updated based on recent feedback and concerns voiced by residents.
Key quote: “There are so many misconceptions about things related to this project, in part because its history has gone on for so long,” Smith said.
Digging deeper: Some of the first questions the FAQ document responds to are who controls the site and why the city doesn’t just take it over and make it into a public park or some other amenity.
The entity Aryeh Reality has owned the site since 2016 and is the developer that has offered up this latest version of the plan.
The city can’t take over the site without purchasing the land or using eminent domain and the city would still have to pay the appraised value of the site.
What else: The FAQ document also addresses questions related to the old Mission Mall and what happened after it went out business.
The mall’s owners, the city says, surrendered the property to the bank in 2005, and then an entity called Gateway Developers, LLC, purchased the property.
City staff also outline the details of what is currently being asked in the fifth version of the project, including $22.5 million in tax increment financing, which would be repaid from property and sales taxes generated by the completed development.
A full list of the frequently asked questions can be found online here, and can also be found in the document below.
The Mission Gateway site has been in the spotlight for more than 15 years, ever since the old Mission City Mall went defunct. File photo
The city’s planning commission meets at 7 p.m. on Oct. 18 and has scheduled a public hearing related to the site.
The public hearings on the tax increment financing project plan and Community Improvement District were previously continued to a special called city council meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 21.
A redevelopment agreement is also anticipated to be considered at the Nov. 21 meeting.
Fill out a Gateway contact form online here to be notified about future meetings related to the project.
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