College Station redevelopment plan approved

Springfield City Council Monday night approved the restated redevelopment agreement for the $12 million, downtown mixed-use development and $8.69 million parking facility.

It’s been a long planning process for the development, which comprises 158,000 square feet of retail, entertainment and office space – including a 14-screen movie theater – and a 390-space parking deck on the development’s south tract. Scott Tillman is the project's developer.

Original plans for the development called for it to be completed by late 2006, but the project has been plagued by higher-than-expected parking deck bids, city-initiated design changes and delays on the adjacent parking deck for Heer’s Tower, which also was redesigned.

Councilwoman Shelia Wright summed up the situation.

“My youngest daughter was in high school when we started talking about this,” she said at the meeting. “She graduates college in May of 2008, and she was wondering whether or not she would have a chance to go down to the movies with her friends before she graduates.”

City Economic Development Director Mary Lilly Smith said it should be possible – the new completion date for the development is March 2008.

See SBJ’s Dec. 18 issue for more from the Dec. 11 City Council meeting.