Commercial development and industrial improvements are being planned for Orange. The Orange City Council and city Economic Development Corporation are ready to give a grant of $350,000 for the commercial development at the vacant block on 16th Street at Interstate 10.
Plus, International Paper is preparing to spend at least $50 million of improvements. The company is asking the City Council to recommend the mill to be a Texas Enterprise Zone Project. The designation allows the company to qualify for possible refunds of state sales and use taxes.
The capital improvements will help the mill keep its 430 employees, according to information in the company’s letter of request to the city.
The plant is the major tax payer in the Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD. Fifteen years ago, a previous owner of the mill announced it was closing and started layoffs. Orange’s State Representative at the time, Ron Lewis, brought in Governor Rick Perry to help persuade the company to keep the mill open.
The economic development grant is for the land where the old Cody’s restaurant, and later Two Amigos restaurant, once stood. It is now along the Interstate 10 access road, which previously stopped at the railroad tracks.
The property is owned by JADCO Commercial Development, also known as Jeff Mallett Commercial Development, based in Houston.
The city has been preparing the site for development for the past several years. The north end of 15th Street has been closed and lots rezoned to accommodate a shopping center-size project. In addition, water and sewer lines have been changed.
The city’s economic development corporation money comes from a special sales tax approved by voters.
The city’s Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors will meet at 8:30 Tuesday morning and hold a public hearing on awarding an economic development grant for infrastructure of the land.
The City Council will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday and also will vote on the grant. The council will also vote on a resolution recommending International Paper to be a state enterprise project.
Both meetings will be in the council chamber next to the Orange Public Library. The council meeting will begin after the EDC board meeting.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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