Future of Colgate under advisement

By DAVID A. MANN

August 09, 2008 02:17 am

— Clarksville’s skyline could someday feature hotels and high rises.
Think condominiums, boutiques and restaurants — all on the Ohio River’s banks and underneath the cherry neon glow of the Colgate clock.
It would be a draw not only for the locals on this side of the river, but also a place that those exiting Louisville’s proposed new arena could visit.
That’s the dream, anyway. Whether and how it would ever come to fruition is still up in the air.
Such commercial developments are among hopes Clarksville redevelopment officials have for the site of the old Colgate-Palmolive Co. manufacturing plant. The plant closed late last year — part of the operation moved to Mexico, another part moved to Tennessee. Hundreds of jobs left with the plant, but officials are hoping to make good use of the space.
Taking a step toward that goal, the Clarksville Redevelopment Commission approved spending $7,000 on a concept plan for the site earlier this week.
Local architectural firm The Estopinal Group will develop the plan. It’s kind of an outline of what the town wants, said Redevelopment Director Rick Dickman.
The property is still owned by New York-based Colgate-Palmolive Co., but a local Realtor has been hired to market it.
Dickman said there have been at least two offers made on the property, one of which was more than the company’s $13 million asking price. However, he said he doesn’t believe a deal has been reached.
At some point, he said, the developer who purchases the site is going to need to talk to the town for permits, zoning changes and tax-increment-financing, or TIF-related requests.
At that point, he said, the town could push its vision for the property.
Clarksville recently expanded its TIF district by about 20 percent to include the site. A TIF district enables a municipality to use taxes collected in the district to fund infrastructure improvements there or nearby.
In addition, redevelopment officials are also trying to coax Marathon Oil Co. into relocating nearby gas storage tanks.
“I don’t think you could get the maximum development and still have them there,” Dickman said.
Redevelopment Commission President Don Tetley said he would like the site to be developed for mixed uses, which could include condominiums, hotels, shopping and restaurants.
Ideally, he said, all this would be constructed in layers, so as to provide optimal views of the river and the Louisville skyline.
Dickman believes the concept plan should be completed by the next redevelopment commission meeting, next month.