Board denies Drury request

MINER -- Miner will not extend a Tax Increment Financing rebate for Drury Inns.

The Miner Board of Aldermen voted against an amendment to the TIF agreement with the company during their regular meeting Tuesday.

Danielle Patrick, city clerk, said officials from Drury Inns were unable to attend the meeting.

Joe Pereles, vice president of development for Drury Inns, presented his company's request for the amendment during the Board's Dec. 14 meeting. Board members tabled the matter at that time to provide the company with time to present the Board with additional information.

Drury currently receives a rebate of 75 percent of the city's tourism tax collected at Drury hotels to reimburse the company for infrastructure improvements made by the company around the Miner Convention Center. That rebate will drop to 50 percent in November.

Pereles had asked for the rebate to remain at 75 percent for another four years as the project was not completed in the planned time frame. Also he explained the Convention Center's parking lot was an unbudgeted expense.

Construction of the parking lot was included in the contract, however, according to city officials.

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