Crystal City, Jefferson County and state officials are working to bring a large-scale industrial project to the area surrounding and including the Festus Memorial Airport.
County Executive Dennis Gannon said details about the developer proposing the project cannot be discussed because of a non-disclosure agreement the developer insisted on having.
“I can’t tell you who it is right now, but I can tell you that it’s a large, multinational company whose name you’ll likely recognize,” Gannon said. “They have 10 other plants around the country and others around the world. If this comes to be, we’re talking about at least 400 high-paying jobs coming to the county. This will be big.”
Until more details are forthcoming, the project has been given the codename “Redbird.”
“What I can say is this concern is negotiating with state economic departments for other funding and because of that, they cannot allow details about this project to be publicized as of yet,” Gannon said.
“They (the developer) have been vetted by the state. But it’s my understanding they also are speaking with other states about alternative sites, one in Illinois and another somewhere else.”
Gannon said representatives from the corporation toured the area and were shown the former PPG Industries site in Crystal City, but zeroed in on the land in and around the airport.
He said the developer seemed to prefer “a cleaner build” rather than “a brownfield site,” which refers to land that previously was developed but no longer is used and possibly is contaminated.
“But our hope is that if this project comes to reality, that will encourage redevelopment of the PPG site,” Gannon said.
The Jefferson County Council and the Crystal City Council have approved actions over the last week to help facilitate the project.
Crystal City annexes land
The Crystal City Council voted unanimously Monday, April 25, to approve the voluntary annexation of a 53.24-acre tract of land south of the city and east of the airport that businessman Jim Kennedy owns.
Kennedy, who did not attend the meeting, purchased the property in December 2017 from the Moring family, according to county records.
He also owns the airport, having bought it for $2.25 million in 2010 from Festus.
Crystal City annexed the airport property in 2008.
Gannon said the corporation proposing the Redbird project would buy the land it needs from Kennedy, but Kennedy would not otherwise be a part of the project.
Kennedy also owns another large piece of land in Crystal City – 180 acres in the north part of the city along the Mississippi River commonly known as the Bradley farm – which one of Kennedy’s companies, Jeffco Port Development Inc., bought from Hug Farm Partnership in April 2021.
Kennedy did not return telephone calls asking for comment.
During a March 28 public hearing about the annexation, a couple of people associated with the airport said they feared the annexation would lead to the airport’s closing. However, one of those speakers – Alexander Bischoff of Arnold, who runs a ministry for veterans out of an office at the airport – said April 25 that he no longer objects to the proposed development.
Mike Osher, who was sworn in as Crystal City’s mayor during the April 25 meeting, said he sees the annexation as a positive step for his city.
“I think any land the city annexes is a benefit,” he said.
Ward 2 Councilman Tony Becker said the voluntary annexation will make it easier for development of the tract and adjoining property.
“Having all of that property in the same jurisdiction will make it easier to get done whatever needs to get done,” Becker said.
County Council pledges $7.25 million to infrastructure
At an April 21 special meeting, the Jefferson County Council voted 5-0 to commit up to $7.25 million for infrastructure costs for the Redbird project.
Council member Renee Reuter (District 2, Imperial) was absent.
Jefferson R-7 Superintendent Clint Johnston, whose district includes the airport and the land that Crystal City annexed on April 25, attended the meeting to express his support.
Gannon said the vote only obligates the county to provide the money if the project is built. “If it doesn’t happen, we can allocate that money for other uses,” he said. “That’s important to note. Also what’s important is that this will be money that Crystal City can use for infrastructure improvements, such as improving the streets (in the area) and allowing sufficient access into and out of the site. This money will not be paid directly to any developer.”
If Crystal City taps into that $7.25 million, Gannon said, $1 million will be drawn from the county’s road and bridge fund, which is financed through a 1/2-cent countywide sales tax. The rest will come from the county’s share of the federal American Rescue Fund Plan (ARPA) stimulus package.
The county will receive $43.7 million over two years from the stimulus package.
“We needed to approve this funding to clearly demonstrate to the developer our commitment to the project,” Gannon said.