The Coming and Going of A.J.Wright
Panel participants include:
Don Inks, South Bend Community and Economic Development
Oliver Davis, South Bend Common Council
Rebecca Ruvalcaba, La Casa de Amistad
7 p.m. – Marycrest Building, 2015 West Western Ave. South Bend
Third floor, La Casa de Amistad meeting room
(parking available on both the east and west sides of the building)
In August 2002, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for a 500,000 square-foot distribution center, constructed at a cost of $40.4 million by TJX, a discount clothing retailer. The promise: over 800 jobs by 2008 — with good pay and medical benefits. The business opened in April 2003 with about 200 employees.
To prepare the 84 acre site, located at Sample and Olive on the West Side, South Bend used $8 million from state and local funding sources including $6.4 million in tax increment financing bonds. In addition, A.J.Wright received a ten year tax abatement from the City of South Bend.
In December of 2010, TJX announced that the A.J.Wright Distribution Center would close in February of 2011, eliminating about 700 jobs.
Although A.J.Wright has left our community, multiple questions remain:
— What plan is being implemented to replace those jobs and protect our public investment?
— What will happen to the tax abatement for that property? This abatement does not expire until 2014.
– Can the City of South Bend recoup almost $3.5 million in taxes which were abated (that is, not paid by A.J.Wright) from 2004 to 2010?
— What penalties can be collected from TJX for jobs not created in accordance with provisions of a 2002 Development Agreement?
— How will any penalties collected by the City of South Bend be used?
— Will these penalties be used to benefit the residents and agencies most impacted by the closing of A.J.Wright?
PLEASE JOIN US IN THIS DISCUSSION ON TUESDAY, JUNE 21, AT 7 P.M.