Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 5062-02-2019A Resolution NO. 5062-02-2019 NOMINATING THE BEN E. KEITH COMPANY, INC. FACILITY AT 7650 WILL ROGERS BOULEVARD AS AN ENTERPRISE PROJECT PURSUANT TO THE TEXAS ENTERPRISE ZONE ACT, CHAPTER 2303, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE WHEREAS, on November 4, 2003 the City Council of the City of Fort Worth (the "City") previously adopted Ordinance No. 15733 electing to participate in the Texas Enterprise Zone Program; and WHEREAS, on May 12, 2015 the City Council of the City adopted Ordinance No. 21743-05-2015 amending Ordinance No. 15733 by adding additional potential local incentives that could be made available to qualified businesses under the Texas Enterprise Zone Program; and the local incentives available pursuant to this Resolution are the same on this date as were outlined in Ordinance No. 21743- 05-2015; and WHEREAS, the Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism (EDC), through the Economic Development Bank ("Bank"), will consider Ben E. Keith Company, Inc., as an enterprise project pursuant to a nomination and an application made by the City; and WHEREAS, the City desires to pursue the creation of the proper economic and social environment in order to induce the investment of private resources in productive business enterprises located in the City and to provide employment to residents of enterprise zones and to other economically disadvantaged individuals; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Chapter 2303, Subchapter F of the Texas Enterprise Zone Act, Texas Government Code (the "Act"), Ben E. Keith Company, Inc. has applied to the City for designation as an enterprise project; and WHEREAS, the City finds Ben E. Keith Company, Inc., meets the criteria for designation as an enterprise project under Chapter 2303, Subchapter F of the Act on the following grounds: 1. Ben E. Keith Company, Inc., is a "qualified business" under Section 2303.402 of the Act since it will be engaged in the active conduct of a trade or business at a qualified business site within the governing body's jurisdiction located within an enterprise zone, and at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the business's new or retained employees will be residents of an enterprise zone, economically disadvantaged individuals or veterans; and 2. There has been and will continue to be a high level of cooperation between public, private, and neighborhood entities within the area; and ORT WO TR�iI I" 3. The designation of Ben E. Keith Company, Inc., as an enterprise project will contribute significantly to the achievement of the plans of the City for development and revitalization of the area; and WHEREAS, the City finds that Ben E. Keith Company, Inc., meets the criteria for tax relief and other incentives adopted by the City and nominates Ben E. Keith Company, Inc., for enterprise project status on the grounds that it is located at the qualified business site and will create a higher level of employment, economic activity and stability in the area; and WHEREAS, the City finds that it is in the best interest of the City to nominate Ben E. Keith Company, Inc., as an enterprise project pursuant to the Act; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS: 1. THAT the findings of the City and its actions approving this Resolution taken at the Council meeting are hereby approved and adopted. 2. THAT Ben E. Keith Company, Inc., is a "qualified business," as defined in Section 2303.402 of the Act, and meets the criteria for designation as an enterprise project, as set forth in Section 2303, Subchapter F of the Act. 3. THAT the enterprise project shall take effect on the date of designation of the enterprise project by the Bank and terminate five (5) years after the date of designation. Adopted this 12'' day of February 2019. ATTEST: A. By: Mar J. Kayser, yi S cret NO T T +y u. IMP ' _ y 4 ir olootio �A • _ • i r Mom,«* ��lIIAA�=1�.l.�Yl7".�'.•.■11cF+a:MS•" ��MI �I��I - WMI W. a..y`,� r !EM 11 „�� � a ■ iwq �} � � � � M i• AI�1 I+i/ylr r�� � � N ! 11! � �R � w� +M+••— •. ,•r 1 iJ ..a City of Fort Worth, Texas Mayor and Council Communication COUNCIL ACTION: Approved on 2/12/2019 - Resolution No. 6062-02-2019 DATE: Tuesday, February 12, 2019 LOG NAME: 17TABENEKEITH REFERENCE NO.: C-29042 SUBJECT: Authorize Execution of a Tax Abatement Agreement with Ben E. Keith Company or an Affiliate for an Expansion of its Food Distribution Operations on Property Located at 7650 Will Rogers Boulevard and Adopt Resolution Nominating this Project as an Enterprise Project Pursuant to Chapter 2303, Texas Government Code (COUNCIL DISTRICT 8) RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council: 1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Tax Abatement Agreement with Ben E. Keith Company or an affiliate for an expansion of its food distribution operations on property located at 7650 Will Rogers Boulevard; 2. Adopt the attached Resolution nominating this project as an Enterprise Project, pursuant to the Texas Enterprise Zone Act, Chapter 2303 of the Texas Government Code. DISCUSSION: Ben E. Keith Company, or an affiliate (Company) intends to construct an approximate 185,000 square foot expansion of office and warehouse facilities to support expanded operations at its existing food distribution facility located at 7650 Will Rogers Boulevard in Carter Industrial Park. The proposed expansion would involve a minimum investment of $22 million in total construction costs and would lead to the hiring of at least 283 net new jobs at the facility. Tax Abatement Agreement In order to facilitate this development, the City of Fort Worth (City) proposes to enter into a 7 -year Tax Abatement Agreement, as authorized by Chapter 312, Texas Local Government Code. The percentage of the tax abatement will be tied to the amount of investment made by the Company and satisfaction of other project and spending requirements, as follows: Investment: Minimum investment of $22 million in total construction costs (exclusive of land acquisition costs) by no later than January 1, 2022, a minimum $20 million of which is required to be hard construction costs. The development shall consist of approximately 185,000 square feet of new office and warehouse space at the property. All improvements must have a temporary or final certificate of occupancy by June 30, 2021. Failure to meet the following criteria is an event of default, which subject to commercially reasonable notice and cure rights, will result in immediate termination of the Agreement. Employment Commitments: The Company must employ a minimum 855 full-time jobs at the property for the duration of the Logname: 17TABENEKEITH Page 1 of 4 agreement. Additionally, Company must add a minimum 179 net new full-time employees to be based out of the project site by no later than December 31, 2023 and must add a minimum 283 net new jobs (inclusive of the 179 previously added) by no later than December 31, 2025. All 283 new full-time employees added to the project site must have an average annual wage of $73,000 (not including benefits). Of the 179 new full-time employees added to the project site by December 31, 2023, a minimum of 46 must be Fort Worth residents and a minimum 12 must be Fort Worth Central City Residents. Of the 283 new full-time employees added to the project site by December 31, 2025, a minimum of 85 must be Fort Worth residents and a minimum 21 must be Fort Worth Central City Residents (with the understanding that employment of Fort Worth Central City residents will also count as employment of Fort Worth residents). Utilization of Fort Worth Companies and Fort Worth Certified M/WBE Companies (Construction): The Company must spend a minimum of $3 million of all Hard Construction Costs with contractors that are Fort Worth companies. Company must spend a minimum of 10% of total construction costs — both hard and soft — with qualified M/WBE businesses. Failure to meet the MNVBE commitment will result in a reduction of 10% of the eligible incentive. Utilization of Fort Worth Companies (Supply & Services): The Company must spend a minimum of $900,000.00 of annual discretionary supply and service expenditures with Fort Worth companies. Supply and Service Expenditures means all expenditures by the company expended directly for the operation and maintenance of the development, excluding amounts paid for electric, gas, water and any other utility services (but not excluding cable, internet or television services). City Commitments: The City will provide a tax abatement for a period of seven years. The maximum taxes to be abated annually will equal up to 50 percent of the incremental real and business personal property taxes collected by the City of Fort Worth in each tax year. Except for cases of default, failure to meet any of the commitments above will result in a reduction of the corresponding component of the abatement for that year proportional to the amount the commitment was not met, or for the duration of the Agreement in the case of construction commitments. TABLE IV -1 Maximum Potential Abatement with Corresponding Components: Logname: 17TABENEKEITH Page 2 of 4 Potential Potential Abatement Property Owner or Company Commitment Abatement (Year 1 and (Year 3 2) and beyond) otal Construction Cost Investment — �20% 5% _ Minimum of $3 million of Construction Spending with FW o 5 /0 _ o 2.5/o Contractors Construction Spending with FW Certified M/WBE Contractors 10% 10% Creation of new jobs in accordance with Section Il.a. 110% 16% [Creation of new jobs in accordance with Section Il.b. 0% 15% Logname: 17TABENEKEITH Page 2 of 4 Full Time Employees hired are Fort Worth Residents in accordance with Section Il.c. 0% 2.5% Full Time Employees hired are Fort Worth Central City Residents in accordance with Section Il.d. 0% 2.5% Budget Reference # moun nnually spend the amount in Section Il.e. with FW 5% 2.5% Companies for Services and Supplies 1 `TOTAL 50% �00/0 Resolution Nominating this Project as an Enterprise Project The City Council previously adopted Ordinance No. 15733 electing to participate in the Texas Enterprise Zone Program. On May 12, 2015, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 21743-05-2015, amending Ordinance No. 15733 by adding additional potential local incentives that could be made available to qualified businesses under the Texas Enterprise Zone Program. The Office of the Governor Economic Development and Tourism through the Economic Development Bank will consider Company as an enterprise project pursuant to a nomination and an application made by the City. The Texas Enterprise Zone Program is an economic development tool for local communities to partner with the State of Texas to promote job creation and capital investment in economically distressed areas of the State. An enterprise project is defined as a business that is nominated by a municipality or county and then approved for state benefits. Designated projects are eligible to apply for state sales and use tax refunds on qualified expenditures. The level and amount of refund is related to the capital investment and jobs created at the qualified business site. Company qualifies for a single Enterprise Project Designation. The single project designation allows for a state sales and use tax refund on qualified expenditures of $2,500 per job, for up to 500 jobs, with a maximum benefit of $1.25 million over a five year period. Under the Texas Enterprise Zone Act at least twenty-five percent of the business' new or retained employees will be residents of an enterprise zone, economically disadvantaged individuals, or veterans. In addition, the jobs will be provided through the end of the designation period or at least three years after the date on which a state benefit is received, whichever is later. This project is located in COUNCIL DISTRICT 8. FISCAL INFORMATION / CERTIFICATION: The Director of Finance certifies that upon approval, the tax abatement provided under this agreement will be built into the City's long-term financial forecast for Business Personal Property Tax with a maximum estimated abatement of $877,392.00. FUND IDENTIFIERS (FIDS): TO Fund Department ccoun Project Program ctivity Budget Reference # moun ID 1 ID 1 Year (Chartfield 2) FROM Fund Department ccoun Project Program ctivity Budget Reference # I moun ID ID I Year (ChartField 2) CERTIFICATIONS: Logname: 17TABENEKEITH Page 3 of 4 Originating Department Head: Additional Information Contact: Susan Alanis (8180) Robert Sturns (2663) Michael Hennig (6024) Logname: 17TABENEKEITH Page 4 of 4