Columbus City Council last night approved a 10-year, 75 percent property tax abatement worth 1.8 million dollars for Benderson Development to build a warehouse and office complex at the site of the old Consumer Square shopping mall on Tussing Road, creating 20 new jobs. Benderson has holdings and assets worth billions of dollars. Opponents of the city's tax abatement policy spoke against the measure, saying the city has given nearly 145 million dollars in abatements over the last two years. Community activist and former council candidate Joe Motil says city policies put an undue burden on property taxpayers.
Columbus development director Steve Shoney says the deal will benefit schools.
Council also approved a five-year income tax break for Woda Construction to move offices from Westerville to Columbus. Schoeny says the deal worth more than 161 thousand dollars counts jobs created only in Columbus as part of the project.
