December’s meeting of the Bryan city council included approving three new and modifying a fourth economic development agreement.
The Bryan council without public discussion agreed to give developers up to $480,000 dollars converting the downtown Varisco building.
The $8 million dollar project includes a ground floor distilling business with a 30 foot tall tank that is supposed to produced 3,000 barrels of whiskey a year.
City councilman Brent Hairston tells WTAW News the top floor will be turned into an entertainment venue.
Four other floors will be renovated and updated for office space.
The council approved giving developers $200,000 for a facade, $150,000 towards a rooftop venue, a $100,000 life safety grant, and waiving up to $30,000 in permit fees.
According to the agreement, the project will be completed in 15 months, adding eight full time jobs with a total annual payroll of $450,000 thousand dollars.
The council, without discussion, agreed to reimburse $155,000 dollars in future property tax payments to the parent company of American Lumber for adding a manufacturing building and three storage buildings. That is supposed to create at least 14 full time jobs.
Click HERE to read and download the map of the project.
The Bryan council, without discussion, gave a local veterinarian another year to complete a new complex that has been delayed by supply chain and labor issues in order to get reimbursed for up to $100,000 dollars in development expenses.
The largest agreement, as previously reported, was approving several motions related to the $300 million dollar expansion of the FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies operation in the biocorridor.
Click HERE to read and download a resolution that was approved by the Bryan council.