City presents Sawmill residential TIF plan estimated to cover 687 units and $258M in new building value

City staff presented an ordinance to establish the Sawmill/Addison residential tax-increment financing (TIF) area, which would create eight separate incentive districts and initially exempt 100% of new improvement value in order to implement school compensation and county reimbursement agreements.

City staff said the proposal is designed to first fulfill pre-existing compensation agreements with Olentangy School District and the Delaware Area Career Center, repay approximately $8.5–8.7 million owed to the county, and then transition to a 50% TIF capture for city-directed catalytic infrastructure projects once county reimbursement is complete. "There's going to be about 687 units. Estimated new building value is about $258,000,000," staff told council while outlining the timeline for district activation (each zone's clock starts when it reaches $2 million in assessed value, triggering a 30-year TIF timeline for that zone).

Staff emphasized the TIF would not create new levies or general-fund appropriations and described potential uses including road extensions, utility work, parks and site-readiness for development along Sawmill Parkway. Council asked clarifying questions about timing, school compensation details and how the TIF transitions once county reimbursements are paid; staff said implementation paperwork and pilot payments would be established after ordinance adoption.