Priority shift, economy, shifts road work to Jefferson

The priority list was created for the 2008 $82 million economic development bond program as a means of spurring commercial and retail growth, mostly in the Interstate 85 corridor.

But as the economy worsened, many of the private development projects that would be built along the proposed roads are delayed or in limbo. Officials used the bond dollars to leverage contribution from developers on each of the projects. As developers become more hesitant, the county’s commitment to various roads wanes.

The developer of the Commerce Retail Boulevard, for example, has backed off that project, which originally included a million square feet of retail space. Likewise, the development of the Commerce 441 LLC’s mixed-use project - including a new BJC Hospital - is off the table and the property is on the market. But the major developer for the Hog Mountain Road improvement project is ready to move forward.

“This will open up the whole Cousins property to development,” said IDA member John Buchanan. “They’ve been talking to Walmart for months, so it could lead to something good.”

The Hog Mountain Road project will result in a five-lane road from U.S. 129 east to Valentine Industrial Parkway (formerly Possum Creek Road) as well as improvements to its intersection at U.S. 129. It was originally budgeted at $4.9 million.