ELLISVILLE, MO (KTVI)- FOX 2 learned Saturday that Walmart has backed out of planned development in Ellisville. Mayor Adam Paul tells FOX 2 that after a new board was elected, support for the project dwindled.
More coverage: New Walmart in Ellisville closer to being dead deal
On August 21, the city council rejected a key extension for the project, with a tie vote, 3-3. It needed a majority to pass. The Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the $50-million project expired September 5th. Developer Sansone and WalMart petitioned for up to a 6 month CUP extension to finish acquiring all of the properties and permits needed to move forward.
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Tax breaks would have covered $15 million of the cost, including $11 million in tax increment financing, or TIF, a hot-button issue in Ellisville. Opponents said mega retailer WalMart did not need taxpayer help to build stores.
The furor over the project led to the election of a new anti-WalMart council majority and fueled the impeachment and then reinstatement of the anti-WalMart Mayor Paul.
More coverage: City Of Ellisville Passes Plan To Build Walmart
