Photo: Developer Brandon Buchanan addresses the commission, as Rob Goad listens. Shannon McFarlin photo.
By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–The Henry County Commission approved an economic development plan for the planned $60.5M Paris Crossing Shopping Center.
Meeting in lengthy session Monday evening, the Commission approved the plan unanimously after a presentation by Paris-Henry County Industrial Committee Director Rob Goad. Goad had made an identical presentation to the Paris City Commission earlier in the afternoon and the city commission also approved the plan. Goad was accompanied by Developer Brandon Buchanan. The Paris Municipal Regional Planning Commission and the Paris Board of Zoning Appeals earlier approved the site plans.
The proposed development would be located on Mineral Wells Ave. at the corner of the Hwy. 218 Bypass and State Highway 77. The development would consist of nine retail outlets and in a Phase II, would involve apartments buildings.
Goad said the plan “would be the largest development Henry County has ever seen. We’ve been working on this for over a year.”
Buchanan said, “We identified Paris as a good fit” for the project due to its location and “our goal is to development a retail center you don’t have here already.” There are great national retailers on board now, he said, including Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, Aldi, plus a PetsMart, Burlington, Ulta, Back Room Shoes and Five Below. The development may also include a Maurice’s store, he said.
“This is our fourth project like this”, he said, noting they are aiming for the summer of 2026 and have long-term commitments from all the retailers.
Goad said Paris has 125,000 people in our retail service area, noting that the development will also pull customers from other nearby counties, such as Carroll, Stewart and Benton.
The Industrial Board conducted a public hearing on the Economic Impact Plan and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) application from BRG Paris, LLC, regarding the purchase of the 41.6 acres of land and an additional parcel of 14.312 acres.
Commissioner Dell Carter said, “I don’t have any questions, but it sure does sound good.”
In other business, with six ‘no’ votes, the Commission rejected the levy of a wheel tax which was proposed to help finance funds needed to handle the county government’s aging structures. Voting no were David Flowers, Dell Carter, Kenneth Humphreys, Paul Neal, Monte Starks and Ralph Wiles. Two-thirds of the commission was needed for passage.
The resolution will be revisited at the November meeting.
Flowers said the constituents he talked with were in favor of the wheel tax “but only when they know what it’s going to be spent on”. Starks agreed, saying the proposed resolution “is too open-ended. We don’t even have an idea right now of what is needed.”
Carter also agreed. “The wheel tax is good, if it’s done right and this isn’t doing it right”.
The county building and grounds committee has been meeting for several months to devise a plan for reorganization of county offices, with an immediate need for vacating the courthouse annex. Another safety concern is the clock tower on the courthouse, with a plan to remove and restore it; and Weston Hall is also in dire need of renovation and/or closure.
Most commissioners were in favor of the wheel tax as the best means of financing the structural needs, but said the resolution needed more specificity.
Commissioner Marty Visser, who also heads the building and grounds committee, said, “The wheel tax is the right thing for the county. We have to fund these building projects or we’re going to pay in liability insurance payments.”
After the vote, Commissioner Jay Travis said, “I’d like to hear from the people voting ‘no’ as to what their plan is and how they’re going to tell the people working in the annex what’s going to happen now.”
Flowers said, “Let’s all work together to create a plan. Let’s come back in November and work on that.”
The Commission also:
–Set procedures for filling a vacancy on the County Road Board, 1st District.
–Accepted the resignations of all members of the former HCMC Board of Trustees and set procedures for conducting special election for Henry County Hospital Board of Trustees.
–Called for the return of the mail processing operations to Madison County from Memphis and to call on the US Postal Service to improve local mail delivery.