Politics & Government

Down to Business: Florissant Council Candidates Respond to Your Questions

The candidates answered questions about the relations between councilors and administration.

What should Florissant do to attract more high-level commercial businesses?

Mark Behlmann, Ward 3: The City of Florissant has a stigma hanging over it. The perception related to businesses coming into the city is negative. This perception is due to the uncertainty of its previous and current leadership. This perception needs to be changed starting with the city council's ability to work together. Communication and hard work within the council itself starts the healing process.

Joe Eagan, Ward 3: All cities throughout the nation have experienced tough times due to the recession. This recession is one of the worst economic periods that this country has ever endured. This recession has had a devastating effect on many of our lives. Many have lost their jobs and their homes. The pain is evident as I walk through the ward and talk to citizens who have had to put their lives on hold, with the hope of the recovery looming. Prior to this recession, Florissant experienced both growth and renewal. This growth was exemplified by the many businesses that opened their doors in Florissant. This renewal was most evident in the Lindbergh beautification project, Cross Keys redevelopment and the face-lift that was given to many of our small shopping plazas, such as Mullanphy Plaza.

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As we fight our way out of this recession, I believe that we should consider all options available for economic development. I will support and encourage our city economic development initiatives to attract new businesses and to keep existing businesses. In the short run, I am prepared to tread water and do more with less until the recovery arrives, with the exception of the police department.

Elizabeth O’Fallon, Ward 3: Businesses, small businesses and large, are the backbone of our community. We need to make sure Florissant is as business-friendly a city as it can be. While running the office for a heavy equipment company, I got to see up close and personal how expensive and complicated government can make running a business. We should consider re-evaluating some ordinances that currently may keep many kinds of businesses out, including larger commercial businesses. 

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Steve Purgahn, Ward 6: My first question would be how higher level commercial businesses are defined. I will assume you mean businesses such as Kohl’s or Walmart and not industrial-type companies. I would proceed with caution when attempting to attract large companies that provide similar products to those already in existence within our city boundaries. The development of a Walmart, for example, probably won’t provide an incremental tax benefit to our community because they provide the same products as Target and Kmart, therefore the result is a more thinly spread consumer base and the potential for one of the existing businesses to close its doors and leave a large vacant space in a shopping center. Consider the once filled Grandpa Pigeons/Value Village building on Lindbergh Boulevard.

This is not to say that we should not attempt to attract higher-level larger businesses. A Costco, for example, could be complementary to Target and K-Mart. Costco provides bulk shopping and is currently not located convenient to our residents or surrounding communities. Residents currently have to drive 20 miles to shop at Costco to communities that do not participate in our tax pool. Attracting a business like Costco could provide multiple benefits. It would allow our residents to shop in our community, it could attract residents from surrounding communities who previously traveled to other locations and located in the right place could revitalize a current underutilized area.  What would it take to attract a business like this? Most likely some form of tax financing or abatement. Does this benefit our community? Maybe or maybe not. The Shoppes at Cross Keys is a successful project that utilized tax financing. Throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area communities have used tax financing some with success and some with failure. To attract large high-level companies the city administration will need to be open minded and creative in both where a business can locate and how the city will help with the development.

I think our community is composed of a healthy mix of both. Attracting new businesses is definitely a priority of mine, but they should be appropriate and complementary to our currently service and product providers.

Pat Stinnett, Ward 6: We must establish a business-friendly environment that seeks to welcome commercial enterprises to our community.  We also need to actively promote our community to those in positions to make business location decisions. As with all endeavors, the business must be successful as well as serving a community need. We can undertake to see which types of business or services are underrepresented or do not exist in Florissant and outreach to those types of businesses with demographic data and potential sites. Image is also very important, and I believe we can do more to enhance our position as a historic and vibrant community where people want to live and work.


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