St. Louis County Councilman Nick Kasoff has proposed legislation to revive tax incentives for a $1.8 billion technology hub and data center development at the former Emerson campus in Ferguson, months after a divided council rejected the proposal.
In May, the council deadlocked 3-3, with one abstention, leaving a $1.5 billion tax abatement package without enough votes for approval. The proposal faced opposition from Ferguson residents, the St. Louis County NAACP, the Ferguson-Florissant School District and others over environmental protections, community benefits and the size of the incentives.
Kasoff’s legislation would reconsider incentives for developer Jim Onder to redevelop the 217-acre campus as a technology, energy, manufacturing and research center.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, Kasoff said the development would generate significant revenue for Ferguson and that the developer has agreed to provide an additional $7.5 million for neighborhood improvements over 10 years.