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By Carol Arnett

THF Development, the company working with Wal-Mart on the planned store at 3350 N. Highway 67, is once again asking for some public financing. The company is requesting a Transportation Development District (TDD) for the site, which is on Lindbergh between New Halls Ferry and Old Halls Ferry (the old Zykan property near Lowes).

Florissant Mayor Tom Schneider spoke at the public hearing for the TDD. The Circuit Court of St. Louis County, 21^st Judicial District, held the hearing at the Florissant Valley branch of the St. Louis County library last week. The court will decide if the TDD can go through.

The city of Florissant has approved the development, but Wal-Mart has not announced a ground breaking date.

Schneider said at the public hearing that he was “disappointed with the developers…as they continue to seek public assistance for their project after it was made clear to them that this community feels strongly that they should build this project with private money.

In a later interview, Schneider said that Wal-Mart first requested a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) development, and the city said no. Wal-Mart then requested a Community Improvement District (CID), and the city said no.

“They told us they would proceed without public financing,” Schneider said.

“It was the attitude of the community that it needed to be done without public financing,” Schneider said. He noted that in previous hearings, “even those who were for the development were not for public assistance to build it.”

“I’m somewhat surprised that they are trying to get a different form of assistance,” Schneider said.

A TDD allows businesses in the district to impose a tax to help pay for traffic improvements needed for the development.

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