HomeMy WebLinkAbout[05] Tax Abatement Request crry cw ST_Jo 3Eru EDA Agenda Item
MEETING DATE: June 18,2019
AGENDA ITEM: Trobec's Bus—Tax Abatement Application
PREVIOUS EDA ACTION: The EDA was been working with CLC Partnership to create a shovel
ready industrial park.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: City staff has been working with CLC Partnership to finalize the
plat for the Industrial Park. While the plat has not been finalized,Trobec's Bus is purchasing one of the
lots to build their new facility. They have a gap in financing and are requesting assistance through Tax
Abatement. The project does not meet the guidelines for Tax Increment Financing.
Stearns County Assessor Jeff Johnson has provided the following values for capturing Tax Abatement:
• The city's share of the tax is estimated to be$67,799.65 (2019 Tax Rate: 60.83632368)
• The county's share of the tax is estimated to be$57,275.50(2019 Tax Rate: 51.39304691)
• The school district's share of the tax is estimated to be$31,027.77 (2019 Tax Rate: 27.84108298)
BUDGET/FISCAL IMPACT:
ATTACHMENTS: Project Narrative
Tax Abatement Application
REQUESTED BOARD ACTION: Provide Direction
'TRQBECS
413 S. County Rd.2
St. Stephen, MN 56375
Phone: 320-251-1202 * 800-898-1202
BUS SERVICE , INC Fax: 320-252-7756
June 13, 2019
Judy Weyrens, City Administrator
City of St. Joseph
75 Callaway Street East
St. Joseph, MN 56374
RE: Tax Abatement Request
Proposed Trobec's Bus Service, Inc. New Facility
Judy:
After a thorough financial analysis and multiple facility studies, Trobec's Bus Service, Inc. is
proposing to construct a 108,060 SF new facility in St. Joseph. In order to make the project
feasible, Trobec's Bus is requesting assistance from the city through the use of the Tax
Abatement program.
As requested, we have completed the TIF/Tax Abatement Preliminary Application. The items
required on the application are listed below.
Trobec's Bus Service History
In 1938 Tony and Frances Trobec, with the help from Tony's uncle, purchased a school bus for
$2,100. The Trobec's purchased the bus so that the students of the St. Stephen area could
continue their education beyond the eighth grade to Holdingford Schools. The company
continued with one bus until an additional bus was purchased for student transportation to
Cathedral High School in St. Cloud.
In 1956, Mr. Ed O'Connell of District 742 in St. Cloud approached the Trobec's asking them to
submit a bid to transport students from the St. Joseph/Collegeville area into St. Cloud to attend
high school. After obtaining the bid,the Trobec's were joined in the business by Tony's brother,
Joe. Trobec's continues to flourish in the school bus business, serving the St. Cloud and Sartell
School Districts. For over 45 years, Trobec's provided inter-campus shuttles between Saint
John's University and the College of St. Benedict, and still continues to provide transportation
for each campuses many club programs and athletic teams.
Trobec's purchased their first motor coach in 1963. At the time, they ran primarily daytrips
in Minnesota to ball games and other activities. In 1981, Trobec's received interstate authority.
This authority was upgraded in 1993 and now, Trobec's Bus Service, can venture to 49 states
including Alaska and Canada.
In 1982, Tony and Frances'three children, Tom Trobec, Betty Trobec and Emily Gohman took
over the business. Tony Trobec passed away in August of 2004 and Frances in November 2009.
Tom and Betty remained hands on, in conjunction with the exceptional staff,mechanics, and
drivers. In 2006, Tom Trobec retired. Betty was an intricate part of the business until her death in
April 2016.
Tim Schubert started with Trobec's Bus Service in 1985 as a driver and mechanic. Today, he is
the CEO and President. Bethany Schubert began with Trobec's Bus Service in 2009 and has
worked herself through the many roles at Trobec's Bus,to her current position today as Vice
President. As our business has grown over the last 5+years and with the growth we are
expecting to continue,we have found ourselves in a position where we need to expand in order
to continue to provide the exceptional service we are known for to our customers, including the
St. Cloud and Sartell School Districts.
Project Description
The proposed new construction would be 108,060 square foot steel building. The new square
footage will be allocated as follows:
• 14,280 SF of Insulated Motor Coach Storage
• 59,620 SF of Insulated School Bus Storage
• 6,800 SF of Office and Conference Areas
• 22,560 SF of Mechanic Garage & Wash Bay
• 2,400 SF of Parts and Inventory
• 2,400 SF of Show Room
• 100 parking stalls, with room for overflow parking
This project also allows for additional building space of 25,000+ SF to be constructed in addition
to the new facility as the company continues to experience growth over the next 10+years.
The Trobec's Bus facility and team members will also create another business revenue stream, as
they will be open to the public for service, maintenance repairs, and commercial vehicle washes
in order to better serve the community.
Project Costs
Detailed below are estimated costs for the construction of the new facility:
• Construction Costs $5,877,900
• Land Cost $631,620
• Equipment Costs $657,000
• Total Estimated Project Cost $7,166,520
Public Benefits
Completing the development of the new facility includes benefits to the public such as:
Jobs: The proposed facility is estimated to have 140 full and part time employees to
begin, with wages from over$50,000 per year to hourly wages between$15.00 per hour
up to $35.00 per hour.
Currently, Trobec's Bus has 115 employees and we expect our new facility to bring an
additional 15-25 jobs in the first year alone, and continuing to add a minimum of 13 new
jobs over the next three years. This will be a mix of part-time and full-time employees
with the wage range listed above.
Property Taxes: The taxable value of the property will be substantially higher after the
development is completed. The land that Trobec's Bus Service wants to develop is
currently farm land.
Future Development: A newly constructed facility in a brand-new industrial park will be
attractive to development in the new park. This will also put additional revenue back into
businesses within the city of St. Joseph by promoting all of our employees and our own
business to shop locally as often as possible.
Green Development: The proposed project will incorporate many green features,
including using the stormwater retention pond for irrigation, daylighting and light
shedding controls, utilizing new technologies in energy usage, and more.
Requested Assistance
Based on our preliminary designs,the anticipated costs for the construction are $7,166,520. After
extensive internal financial modeling, an operating loss is expected for the first 3-5 years of
operation. We are requesting assistance from the city through the following items:
• A tax abatement amount of$450,000
• A delay in payment of the WAC/SAC charges starting two years after the facility is
completed. The new facility is expected to be completed by 11/1/2019. The payment of
WAC/SAC amount is requested to be paid out over a 3 year time period.
Summary
Trobec's Bus Service, Inc. has been extremely diligent in the process of determining the best
option for our new facility. For the last three years, we have looked at different plats of land in
Sartell, St. Cloud, and throughout Stearns County. We ultimately came to the conclusion that St.
Joseph would fit our needs best based on the easy access to I-94 for our charter buses,the
extensive work we do within the city of St. Joseph with Kennedy Elementary, St. Joseph
Catholic School, College of Saint Benedict, St. John's University, and other local businesses.
The main focus of our business is school bus transportation. It is our duty to bring our local
children to and from their future every day, and to do that safely. Being able to open a new
facility in St. Joseph is going to allow us to be safer,more efficient, and allow us to continue to
grow our business the way we have seen it grow over the last 5 years. As a company that has
been in business for over 81 years,there is no question about our dedication to our industry,the
school districts we serve, and our overall quest for greatness.
The items listed above (Requested Assistance)will help offset some of the expected loss with
opening a new facility for Trobec's Bus Service, Inc in St. Joseph at this time. Without this
amount of assistance,the project does not seem feasible and Trobec's Bus will need to
reconsider the timing and location of this expansion. We look forward to working with the city
on this exciting development. If you have any further questions,please feel free to contact us.
Respectfully Submitted:
Trobec's Bus Service, Inc.
Bethany Schubert Tim Schubert
Vice President President
Trobec's Bus Service, Inc. Trobec's Bus Service, Inc.
t S i,vt
City of St. Joseph
... , uMr,, m TIF/Tax Abatement Application
CITY OF ST. JOSEPH
APPLICANT INFORMATION:
Business Name: Trobec's Bus Service, Inc. Date: 6/13/19
Business Address: 413 South Co Rd 2, St. Stephen,MN 56375
Business Type: X Corporation Sole Proprietorship Partnership
Please Select: New Business X Existing Business #of Years of Business 8l
Contact Person/Authorized Representative Bethany Schubert Title: Vice President
Daytime Phone: 320.251.1202 Alternate Phone: 218.851.2061 Fax: 320.252.7756
Email: bethany@,trobecsbus.com
Business Legal Counsel: Susan Kadlec Phone: 320.230.0203
Legal Counsel Address: 1010 W St. Germain St, St. Cloud, MN 56301
INFORMATION ON PROPERTY OWNER(if different from Applicant):
Legal Name of Property Owner: Timothy Schubert
Address: TBD—In process of platting
Telephone: 320.251.1202 Email: tim(&trobecsbus.com
PROJECT INFORMATION:
Project Description: New 108,060 SF Facility, See Attached
Project Address: Specific address TBD (new industrial park)
Parcel Identification Number(s): N/A
Legal Description(may be attached instead of listed):_N/A
Current Market Value of Site: N/A Present Zoning of Site: LI Light Industrial
Proposed Zoning of Site: LI Light Industrial
St.Joseph TIF/Abatement Application Page/1
Is the Applicant the Fee Owner of the Site: (yes/no) No If No,has a Purchase Agreement been
executed for the subject property?Please Explain: Yes,Applicant currently has a purchase agreement for
the property
Dollar Amount of TIF/Abatement Requested: $450,000&delay of WAC/SAC payments over 3 years
Explain Why TIF/Abatement is Needed for the Project: See attached narrative
Describe the number of permanent full-time equivalent jobs to be created and/or retained:
See attached narrative
Describe any other public benefits resulting from the Project: See attached narrative
Project Architect Name: Don Larsen - Rice Companies,Inc.
Architect Address: 1019 Industrial Drive, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
Architect Phone: 320-252-0404 Architect Email: don.larsen r ricecompanies.com
Project Engineer Name: Westwood
Engineer Address: 3701 — 12th Street N, Suite 206. St. Cloud, MN 56303
Engineer Phone: 320-229-2324 Engineer Email:will.huston4westwoodps.com
Anticipated Project Start Date Summer 2019 Anticipated Completion Date: Winter, 2019
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Estimated Project Costs: Please complete Appendix A—Financial Information(attached)
Has the business,owners or parent company ever declared bankruptcy? No X Yes
If Yes,please explain:
Has the business, owners,or parent company ever defaulted on any loan commitment?No X Yes_
If Yes,please explain:
St.Joseph TIF/Abatement Application Page I 2
Has the business, owners, or parent company every used tax increment financing or abatement for a
project in the past? No X Yes If Yes,please include details as to where and when.
Please indicate whether or not we may contact the conventional financer:
INFORMATION CHECKLIST
The following information must be presented to the St.Joseph Community Development Director as soon as
possible. The information will be evaluated to determine if the proposed project conforms to the City's goals
and objectives.
1. Attach a map illustrating the exact boundaries of the proposed development. (see attached site plan)
2. Attach a general written description and drawings of the project illustrating:
- Size and location of existing and proposed buildings(see attached site plan)
- Building concept plans including a site plan,building elevations,building openings,
plumbing and HVAC systems,number of stories, square footage per use,construction type,
building materials,and cost estimate. (see attached site plan & floor plan, remaining plans
are currently being developed)
-+ Proposed use of property and type of development, estimated traffic to be generated by the
project per day. (see narrative)
Off-street parking(see attached site plan)
- Project Schedule(see attached narrative)
-* Estimated market value of the project when complete(City will work with the Stearns
County Assessor's Office to obtain this).
3. Project financing information including:
- Proposed project funding sources and uses statement, including a demonstrated gap in
financing. (see attached narrative)
-f Project financial performa analysis/cash flow analysis demonstrating a gap in financing
- A statement illustrating why the project doesn't cash flow without TIF/Abatement(see
attached narrative)
4. A statement identifying the public benefit of the proposed project in terms of number of jobs
created,number of jobs retained, increase in property value, redevelopment impact, economic
development impact, etc... (see attached narrative)
5. A written perspective of the Developer and/or Development Company including background and
experience of the business entity,company leaders, company history, past development
achievements, etc. (see attached narrative)
St.Joseph TIF/Abatement Application Page 1 3
SIGNATURES
I certify the statements contained in the Application and supplemental materials are true,complete, and correct
to the best of my knowledge,and are made by me in good faith. I understand that any falsifications,
misrepresentations,or omission of facts in this Application shall be sufficient cause for disqualification and/or
ineligibility for tax increment financing and/or abatement approval,regardless of the time that elapses before
such false information is discovered. �,, ��
Applicant Signature: ' "" "-l S"-" fitXt Date: 6/13/19
Co-Applicant Signature: Date:
City Administrator: Judy Weyrens
(320)363-7201
jweyrens@cityofstjoseph.com
Community Development Director: Therese Haffner
(320)363-7201 ext.424
thaffner@cityofstjoseph.com
Address: 75 Callaway St E.
St.Joseph MN 56374
Appendix A— Financial Information
St.Joseph TIF/Abatement Application Page 14
Estimated Project Related Costs
1. Land Acquisition $ $631,620
2. Site Development $ $791,322
3. Building cost $ $5,033,678
4. Equipment $ $657,000
5. Architectural/Engineering Fees $ $52,900
6. Legal Fees $
7. Off-Site Development Costs $
8. Other(please explain) $
9. TOTAL PROJECT COST $ $7,166,520
Sources of Financing
1. Private Financing Institution $ $5,266,520
2. Tax Abatement Funds(Total Request) $ $450,000
Number of Years: s
City Portion: $ County Portion: $
Annual Amount: $ Annual Amount: $
3. Other Public Funds $
4. Developer Equity $ $1,450,000
5. TOTAL SOURCES $ $7,166,520
(Note: Please list all sources separately,use additional sheets if necessary)
St.Joseph TIF/Abatement Application Page I 5