Asharaf Hudda, owner of the Susquehanna East Shopping Center has submitted a petition to establish the Susquehanna East Shopping Center Community Improvement District encompassing the entire shopping center located at 17515 – 17521 E. US 24 Highway.  The petition requests the imposition of a 1% sales tax within the district with revenues from the tax used toward public improvements including façade improvements, installation of exterior LED lighting, parking lot and landscaping improvements, blight elimination, and maintenance within the district.  The petition meets the economic development policy’s requirements and the Independence Economic Development and Incentives Commission unanimously recommended its approval.          

The property owner proposes to redevelop the approximately 12,000 sq. ft. Susquehanna East Shopping Center, which would include the construction of new façade for the entire Shopping Center, installation of exterior LED lighting, renovation of the parking lot and landscaping at the site, and the remediation of other blighting conditions as outlined in the blight study.

The renovation project will include new contemporary façades that are not only be more attractive but will create new surface areas for wall signs so that the legal nonconforming roof signs can be eliminated.  The existing building has a façade of glass, brick and standing-seam metal roofing/awnings.  The metal roofing/awnings will be removed.  Wood façade/sign boards and columns will be added to the walls.  The sizes of the tenant spaces and the locations of doors and windows will not change.       

In March of 2020, City Council approved a rezoning for this site from C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial) to C-2 (General Commercial) in order to accommodate the construction of a gas station/convenience store at the site.  The building’s easternmost tenant space will include the gas station/convenience store.  Currently, the strip center has six units, two of which are vacant including the unit for the proposed convenience store.  At this time the owner has not applied for building permits related to the gas station/convenience store.  Funds collected as part of the CID will not be used for the construction of the gas station/convenience store and will be restricted to eligible public improvements outlined in the petition.    

The CID will impose a 1% sales tax within the boundaries of the CID. The sales tax revenues will be used to reimburse the Developer for the eligible reimbursable project costs associated with redevelopment of the shopping center to cure the blighting conditions outlined in the study.