A few different documents pertaining to the J.W. Hicks property were considered by Knox City Council members Thursday night.
In the city council’s first meeting in May, a public hearing was held over the company’s request to annex a portion of property into the city of Knox.
During the hearing, SCEDF Special Projects Coordinator Ron Gifford explained that the Hicks organization previously purchased some property on the corner of Pacific Avenue. He said that when the company started looking into potential expansion, some records were reviewed and they discovered that 17-acres of property to the south was never annexed into the city.
When members met last Thursday, they considered an ordinance that would incorporate of land into the city. The ordinance was adopted with unanimous council approval so that piece of land is now officially a part of the city.
Additionally, the council considered two resolutions pertaining to an Economic Revitalization Area and the potential tax abatement that the classification allows. One resolution was to designate the location as an economic revitalization area.
The second resolution included documentation submitted by the Hicks Corporation, requesting tax abatement and providing examples of why it would be beneficial for the city to grant it.
Both resolutions were passed. However, Gifford added that this was only the first step in the tax abatement process. He said a legal notice has to be published and a public hearing over the request will be held in June.
