Brigham City Council voted last week to approve an application to facilitate a $1 million interest free loan that would pass through the city to the developer for the development and funding of a hotel in conjunction with the Academy Square project.
"There is need and room in the market for an additional hotel in Brigham City," said economic development director Paul Larsen.
However, some local business persons feel that this might be an example of putting the cart before the horse. Tim Haderlie, general manager of the Logan and Brigham City Crystal Inns, says that by helping to fund hotels and restaurants in the area the city is setting an "unfair playing field."
The downtown Brigham City project has been a long time coming and the Academy Square building has been vacant since the early 1980s with Brigham City purchasing the building over 15 years ago. Many city officials, including the community and economic development department see the opportunity to create jobs and thereby increase the tax base. One agent who has been involved in securing properties for the Academy Square project has said that he has "strived to be fair and advise in a professional way to provide elected officials with the keys to make the decisions." Box Elder News
