Business Management

Courts reverse decision on business park.
An appeals court Tuesday reversed a lower court”s ruling in favor of St. Peters in a lawsuit involving the use of a tax subsidy for the development of the Premier 370 Business Park.Judge Ronald R. Holliger, of the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District in Kansas City, reversed a circuit court”s ruling in a lawsuit filed by Great Rivers Habitat Alliance against the city of St. Peters. In December 2004, the environmental group sued the city over its financing, known as tax increment financing, for the project. St. Charles County joined the suit as a plaintiff in September 2005.’We are pleased the court has validated our concerns,’ said Dan Burkemper, the alliance”s executive director. The alliance has been fighting the business park project.The city released a statement Tuesday saying the ruling ‘has no impact on the future development of the Premier project.’According to the city”s statement, the court did not decide any of the Great Rivers or the county”s challenges to the financing plan, known as tax increment financing or TIF.TIF funds are designed to attract businesses to blighted areas.