SCS/HB 1706 - This act reduces the number of commissioners who sit on the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority in St. Louis from 15 to 5 by attrition. The commissioners will be appointed by the mayor of St. Louis. This section also allows St. Louis to adopt a plan to consolidate the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority with the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority. This portion of the act is similar to HCS/SCS/SB 894.

This act allows the demolition and reconstruction of buildings or structures which are not the object of remediation to count as allowable costs under the Brownfield remediation program if (1) the buildings or structures are located on an abandoned or underutilized property which is approved for financial assistance through the program; and (2) the demolition is part of a redevelopment plan approved by the Director of the Department of Economic Development and by the local government with jurisdiction in the area in which the project is located. The act also allows properties immediately adjacent to any abandoned or underutilized property to qualify as an "eligible project" under the Brownfield remediation program if the abandoned or underutilized property meets program requirements.

Under current law, the Department of Economic Development may provide grants to cities and counties to redevelop abandoned property in cooperation with a prospective private purchaser. This section allows these grants to be used for Phase I and Phase II site assessments under the Voluntary Remediation Program before a prospective private purchaser has been identified.

This act requires the Department of Economic Development to grant a demolition tax credit to any applicant up to 100% of the demolition costs that are not part of the voluntary remediation activities.
STEPHEN WITTE