photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Lawrence businessman Doug Compton hopes to move the headquarters for his two businesses, First Management and First Construction, into the former Borders bookstore space at Seventh and New Hampshire streets.

Douglas County leaders could soon discuss a longtime developer’s plans to renovate the former Borders building in downtown Lawrence — and his request for tax incentives for the project.

In May 2022, an entity led by Lawrence businessman Doug Compton filed plans to renovate the building at Seventh and New Hampshire streets into a space that would serve as a corporate headquarters for his property management and construction companies First Management and First Construction.

Now, local governments are being asked to approve a 90%, 15-year property tax rebate for the project through the local Neighborhood Revitalization Act, as well as an Industrial Revenue Bond sales tax exemption on construction materials and labor.

The Lawrence City Commission was scheduled to discuss the request at its meeting Tuesday, but Compton requested that that discussion be postponed until Aug. 1.

It wasn’t clear on Tuesday evening whether the County Commission would still be discussing the incentives request at Wednesday’s meeting, but it was listed on the regular agenda in the meeting’s agenda packet.

According to agenda packets from the City Commission and the County Commission, the Public Incentives Review Committee was divided on whether to recommend all of the incentives. The committee voted 3-2 against recommending the Neighborhood Revitalization Area incentive, but it voted 4-1 in favor of recommending the Industrial Revenue Bonds.

The $4.3 million project is projected to support the existing 80 employees of First Management, and provide room for 21 new jobs, according to a staff report prepared by the city’s economic development analyst. The report projects seven of the new jobs will have annual salaries ranging from $90,000 to $120,000, while the other 14 will have salaries ranging from $50,000 to $70,000.

The County Commission’s agenda packet said that Wednesday’s meeting is expected to include the details of the proposed tax incentives, as well as a cost-benefit and financial analysis of the plan.

In other business, commissioners will consider:

• A site plan for a storage building for an existing propane distribution business on approximately 3.5 acres at 296 East 1260 Road. According to the request, the company, Heartland Energy Inc., would use the building to house trucks and a storage room for propane parts.

The commission’s meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Douglas County Courthouse and can also be streamed via Zoom.