At long last, the wait for the Midtown District appears to be coming to a close.
During Monday night’s city commission meeting, commissioners approved the Midtown Development Agreement, which sent the vote to the Community Redevelopment Agency directly after the meeting wrapped up. The CRA also approved the agreement and the developers from 2XS, along with city leaders, stepped into a conference room and signed their names on the dotted line, sending Midtown to its next step.
2XS will now have 60 days to submit a master plan which will outline the details of the minimum development required in stage one. If approved, they would have to then prove financing, which the city could deny or approve. The next step is to enter a ground lease for the property necessary to build the minimum development and, once that development is complete, the CRA would convey all of the Midtown property as defined in the development agreement to 2XS. From there, they would simply continue to build out the Midtown property as their master plan entails.
“Tonight really is the beginning of the development process,” City Manager Bill McDaniel said. “The key has been turned in the lock, but we haven’t swung open the door yet. This was a very important step and, frankly, it took several attempts to get here… We have always operated under the mindset that if the deal is not good for the community, we won’t go through with it. That’s some of what happened before with the other developers. But this time it seems like we really are on the right track.”
Though spirits were high Monday evening, there are quite a few hurdles to clear before shovels dig into the ground. In the next 60 days, 2XS will submit a master plan. The city will then have 45 days to review it. If they want something amended, 2XS will have 30 days to make those changes. Then the developer has 90 days to obtain an acceptable letter of intent proving financing is secured for the project. The city has agreed to offer one 90 day extension if 2XS proves they are diligently pursuing financing. The ground lease for minimum development will be executed within 30 days of approval of financing.
Once all of that occurs, 2XS will have three years to complete the minimum development.
It’s a process the city has been waiting to pursue for years. Despite two other attempts, they’ve never gotten this far in the process. Though Mary Mathis was away for a family emergency, she phoned in to be a part of the historic vote. In all the ups and downs, the commission has always voted unanimously regarding Midtown and Mayor Rick Lott wanted to keep that record going.
Obviously the city and 2XS will each give and take to bring Midtown to life. The city has agreed to put up the property for the minimum development via the ground lease and then convey all of the Midtown land to 2XS when the terms are met. The city will also maintain all of the existing ROW areas and agreed to restore roadways after the construction is complete. During that restoration, the city will have to install paved pedestrian crosswalks at appropriate locations. The city is also allowing 2XS to repurpose the Midtown park at the developer’s expense. Once that renovation is complete, however, the city will continue maintenance of the property.
The developer essentially has to ensure it complies with all of the terms stated in the 84-page Development Agreement as well as all following contracts. If they get the financing and stick to the schedule, they should have relatively smooth sailing. 2XS is responsible for all of the costs associated with the development and construction, and will pay all normal fees due to the city once they qualify for a certificate of occupancy.
Never one to go in blind, McDaniel worked with City Attorney Ken Buchman to ensure the city has safeguards in place to prevent them from taking a loss should compilations arise. The city still has to approve the master plan and minimum development proposals, as well as the financing. If 2XS fails on any of these steps, the development agreement immediately terminates and the developer will be responsible for all costs of the construction up until that point.
Though a master plan has not yet been floated, 2XS provided some development concepts for the community to get a feel for the future of the project. For the minimum development, they want to have a four-story structure with a rooftop element. The floor level will have retail and the upper floors will be residential. Showing an image of a brick industrial-style building, they indicated they wish to merge modern trends with historic roots.
Sam Bauer and Stephen Katz, owners and managers of 2XS, attended the meeting to answer questions and share their gratitude toward the city for trusting them with the project. Bauer said while they won’t speak on the nitty gritty details yet, the buildings could see businesses like microbreweries and communal dining popping up to add life to the district.
“In the very near future, we want to get very involved with downtown,” Bauer said. Midtown and downtown go hand-in-hand. Together we can work to ensure the enhancement of the entire city, not just this one district.”
McDaniel praised Bauer and Katz and said it has been a genuine pleasure working with them throughout this process. Lott chimed in as well, reminding onlookers that everyone on the dais and nearly everyone in the room has been invested on this project since day one more than a decade ago.
Lott called Dub McGinnes to the dais to share his thoughts on the change. His family owned land in the Midtown district for generations. His father borrowed money in the 1930s and started a business in “the sticks,” which now lies here in the heart of Plant City. Many in the audience nodded along and fondly remembered the lumberyard that provided jobs for so many in the community. Eventually the business was sold and McGinnes said he wasn’t sure what would become of his family land.
In 2007, Lott began speaking to him about this dream of a vibrant Midtown and McGinnes knew his family’s legacy would be put to good use. It was high time, he joked, that the dream became a reality.
“It’s not over yet, we still have some hurdles to clear, but we’re moving,” Lott said. “It’s not time to pop the cork on the champagne bottle yet, but we can put it on ice.”