Earlier this fall, Mayor Kay Barnes and the city council had voted to withdraw support from Regent Partners' plans for the entertainment district, citing lack of funding and failure to proceed in a timely manner. They also questioned converting the old Empire Theatre into a venue for the House of Blues and the scaled-down plans for buildings along Baltimore Avenue where Regent Partners wanted to begin the redevelopment.
A day before the TIF commission meeting, Regent Partners filed a lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court trying to block the TIF commission's move. Regent Partners stated Mayor Barnes and city officials had set up impassable roadblocks and withheld financial support.
Regent Partners claimed that it had spent more than $ 3 million for consultants, architects, engineers and attorneys -- monies that it now cannot recoup.
Previously, the original backer of the Power & Light District, Power & Light District LLC, a subsidiary of AMC Entertainment, had withdrawn from the project. The TIF commission declared that when the AMC Entertainment subsidiary withdrew, the plan had no sponsor because it had not assigned the development rights to Regent Partners.
Initially, the Power & Light District was to be created on the south end of the Downtown Loop, between 13th and 15th streets, Wyandotte and McGee streets. It was to be home to new offices, hotels, apartments, retail stores, entertainment venues and parking garages. The overall project was estimated to cost about $628 million.
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