Highland Park City Council Approves New TIF District

HIGHLAND PARK, IL - From The City of Highland Park: At the December 11 City Council Regular Meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the creation of the Briergate Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. The Briergate TIF District was created to support the cost of infrastructure improvements for the Briergate Business District (BBD) in order to encourage investment and revitalization. TIF funds will be used in conjunction with revenue from an existing Special Service Area (SSA) which was established in 2014 and will run through 2023 in the BBD. The City collects SSA funds from property owners within the BBD to help share the cost of physical improvements and marketing. Per State Statute, TIF designations run for a 23-year term unless terminated sooner by the designating municipality. TIF funds will cover the cost of improvements that could not otherwise be funded by the SSA. The City worked in collaboration with its sister governments, the Park District of Highland Park and school districts 109, 112 and 113 pertaining to the TIF review and assessment. The City of Highland Park, school districts 109, 112, and 113, and the Park District of Highland Park all unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement recently at their respective public meetings which memorializes the parties’ support for the Briergate TIF District, sets forth mutual agreement concerning the use of TIF revenues, and establishes a process for reviewing the success of the TIF District.

The Briergate TIF District was created in response to Briergate Business Association District (BBAD) business and property owner desires to advance improvements within the district before 2025 resulting in revitalization of the BBD. The City plans to use TIF funds for infrastructure improvements in the BBD to increase safety in the area, including replacement of the roadway; and installation of curb and gutter, sidewalks, parking bays and lighting which presently do not exist in the district. The Briergate Business District is located along US 41, along Deerfield Road, Old Deerfield Road, and Old Skokie Road.

State law requires that prior to establishing a TIF District, a municipality must conduct a study to determine the eligibility of a TIF for a specific area. Earlier this year, the City engaged Camiros, Ltd. to conduct a TIF Eligibility Study and to provide a Redevelopment Plan for the BBD. Camiros, Ltd. determined that the Briergate Business District is TIF eligible and that a TIF District is an appropriate designation for the area. The City also worked closely on an intergovernmental agreement which establishes consensus and support from overlapping government entities for the creation of the Briergate TIF District. The agreement sets forth the parties’ mutual agreement and understanding concerning the use of TIF revenues and also a process for reviewing the progress of the TIF District.

For more information on the Briergate TIF District approved at the December 11 City Council meeting, please visit: http://highlandparkil.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=1789&MediaPosition=&ID=2618&CssClass=.

Photo credit: Highland Park City Hall | Patch File | Tim Moran