MOLINE - The Moline City Council approved a tax increment financing or TIF district for the intersection of U.S. 6 and Highway 150 by a vote of 5-4.
A tax increment financing district gives the developer tax breaks to develop the land. Miller Trucking and Excavating is interested in developing the area just southeast of U.S. 6 and Highway 150 into a shopping mall.
Miller Trucking and Excavating owns the land there already. Owner Jarrod Miller was in attendance at Tuesday's meeting but has not spoken publicly about the issue. He did tell News Eight off camera he's been working with the city for about a year now to get this land developed.
"They stuck their neck out for the city of Moline several years ago when they came and said that they would like to buy this property," Moline Mayor Don Welvaert said of Miller Trucking.
A lot of Coal Valley residents came to the public hearing on October 23rd on the TIF issue. They did not come to the city council vote Tuesday night though. The opposition says that Miller should not get a tax break for buying the land.
"From what I can see, they don't have a plan for it," Moline resident Sandy O'Neill said. "From what I can see, they're just looking for a handout to make some sort of use for it."
The Horace Mann Elementary School is also in the TIF district, but Moline Public schools owns the closed school. The city is looking for a developer on that project.
In other council news, the city voted to table one of the other TIF district votes until the April 23rd council meeting. That TIF District is for the South Park Mall. The city will vote on the Genesis Medical Center TIF at its council meeting next week.