Chimney Rock shopping center

A split Odessa City Council voted to potentially give developer Larry Lee’s planned shopping center more money than was originally anticipated.
With councilmen Bill Cleaver and Benjamin Velasquez opposing, council voted 3-2 to amend the original proposal to award up to $5.1 million in infrastructure incentives at the planned Chimney Rock Center, located at the northeast corner of Highway 191 and Northeast Loop 338. Velasquez had moved to award the development the $4.48 million that was part of the original agreement.
“It was what the developers feel they needed to make the project work,” City Manager Richard Morton said after the meeting.
City Attorney Larry Long said the incentives come from reimbursement of half the city sales tax spent on the project until the development’s infrastructure requirements are paid for or it reaches the cap of $5.1 million.
Among the improvements that can be made with money from the city, which is part of the Chapter 380 retail incentive guidelines council approved at its Oct. 13 meeting, are water and sewer construction, electric infrastructure installation, Texas Department of Transportation improvements for access to the center, parking lot work, and landscaping improvements that include a retention pond.
 “If they spend less than ($5.1 million), they will get less,” Morton said.
The city projects that, even with splitting sales tax revenue into 2019, it will make $116,166 next year off the center, $311,665 in 2011 and $509,296 in 2012, when construction is expected to be completed. By 2024, it projects bringing in a total of $12,703,531 in sales tax. The city also plans to make money off construction-related sales tax.
Best Buy, Academy Sports and Outdoors and Marhsall's and other retailers are expected to build at the Chimney Rock Center, which could cost $40 million and employ more than 600 people when complete.
Also Tuesday, council approved a $4.437 million bid with Onyx Contractors Inc. of Midland for renovations to Sherwood Park. Though Onyx actually offered the second lowest price of the four companies to bid on the project, it outrated the others on a competitive sealed proposals scale that also takes into account the number of planned working days, the resume of the project superintendent, the contractor’s experience with similar projects and experience from irrigation and electrical contractors on similar projects.
Although one company bidded lower than Onyx, Morton said the best company won out, and that the city was able to negotiate an additional $400,000 off Onyx’s original bid.
“The lowest bidder turned out not to be the most qualified, or qualified at all,” he said.
Steve Patton, parks and recreation director, said construction on Sherwood Park renovations should begin in about a month and take roughly a year to complete. They will include a new perimeter walking trail, a three-baseball field complex, a new restroom and a new irrigation system.
Also in place will be a new playground built around the park’s existing octopus and spider, along with — wait for it — an all-new Prairie Pete statue.
“As a surprise, we’re going to get a new one,” he said.   One new project at Sherwood is already preparing to open. Patton said the new skateboard park there will open at 10 a.m. Saturday and will include performances by professional skaters.
“It’s going to be a wonderful addition to our park system,” he said.
In other action, council approved:
>> Appropriating $915,100 from the U.S. Department of Energy for an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. The money will go toward retrofitting parts of Municipal Plaza and the Odessa Police Department to make them more energy efficient. Money will also be used to underwrite the cost of solar panels on some of the city’s affordable housing units.
>> Authorizing the Odessa Police Department to accept a Texas Division of Emergency Management Homeland Security Grant for $56,983.
>> Second and final approval of a request from Devi Investments to rezone from retail-one to planned development-one. The change allows the company to build a four-story La Quinta hotel near the southeast intersection of Faudree Road and Highway 191.
>> Second and final approval of a request from DJK Inc. and EXL Production LP for original zoning of future development-drill reservation on 4.1 acres north of Old Bankhead Highway and east of the Odessa Country Club’s Links course.
>> Sale of tax delinquent property at 910 Hudson Ave. and 809 W. 20th St. for less than market value.
>> Second and final approval of the limousine franchise renewal of Frank Nastase of Basin Limousine.
>> A $181,292 purchase of 21 new displays for a fall festival and eight displays for the Christmas Starbright Village at McKinney Park.
>> A 12-month maintenance contract for computer software for $133,717.
>> A cellular telephone service contract with Verizon Wireless for $70,529.
>> A fuel contract with United Fuel & Energy for $2.245 million.
>> The purchase of police uniforms for $67,000.
>> Purchasing police in-car video cameras for $206,540.
>> Adding a provision to city code to make “any type of force or intimidation to obtain donations of money, property or financial assistance of any kind” a Class C misdemeanor in the city.
>> New fee rate structures for Ratliff Ranch Golf Links and rentals from the city parks department.
>> Awarding a contract with SunGuard iWorks for maintenance of software for benefit claims administration.
>> Reappointing Garland Reid to the board of survey, appointing Rita Barrientes to the Odessa Housing authority and John Landgraf to the Permian Basin Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board of Trustees. They also appointed Larry Johnson (architect), John Shefchik (engineer), Roy Hunton (builder), David Barton (plumbing contractor), Troy Walker (electrical contractor), Greg Eddings (citizen) and Rick Cates and Jerry Morales (alternates) to the new building board of appeals.