Providence City Council Committee Rejects Extension of Tax Stabilization

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Providence City Council Committee Rejects Extension of Tax Stabilization

100 Fountain Street
The Priovidence City Council's Finance Committee voted on Tuesday that it will not recommend tax stabilization extensions for a group of downtown condominium owners. The full council will take up the issue at next week’s City Council meeting.

GoLocal reported last week that members of the Council were concerned about the tax break extention.

“The City is faced with a deficit and the Council must be fiscally prudent when making economic decisions,” said Majority Leader Kevin Jackson. “As elected officials, we cannot pick and choose who we subsidize.”

Property owners from four luxury condominium properties have requested a second extension to their existing tax stabilization agreements, which were granted in 2002 to develop the properties.

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In 2010, the property owners appealed to the State of Rhode Island and received additional 5-year extensions, which end in 2017. “This was a great project that spurred development and allowed these projects to launch with low operational costs,” said Jackson. “It’s time to make good on past promises.”

The tax stabilizations were granted in 2002 to revitalize downtown and the city’s tax base. As multi-million dollar rehabilitation projects that created jobs, luxury housing units, and high-end commercial spaces, tax stabilizations served as an incentive to spur development. “This project was a rousing success. One of the condos is on the market for half a million dollars,” said Finance Committee chairman, John Igliozzi.

After hearing testimony from the property owners, the Finance Committee determined there was not enough compelling evidence to support another extension. “There are still approximately two more years of tax stabilization, which gives them enough time to prepare to pay their fair share of taxes,” said Igliozzi.

The City Council is expected to vote on the motion at the next City Council Meeting on Thursday, February 11th at 7:00 p.m.
 


Current Tax Stabilization Agreements in Providence

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