BE IT REMEMBERED the Council of the City of Caruthersville met in special session in the Council Room of the Municipal Building on Monday, June 11, 2018, at 12:00 pm, at which time and place the following were present:
Sue Grantham – Mayor
Takella Motton – City Clerk
Lawrence Dorroh – City Counselor
Lyons – Councilperson
Rittenberry – Councilperson
Grable – Councilperson
Hood – Councilperson
Merideth (Absent) -Councilperson
Rodgers (Absent) – Councilperson
Duckworth – Councilperson
Bullington – Councilperson
During the luncheon, Earl Bullington introduced Cedric the Entertainer. The previous administration spearheaded the endeavor with Cedric Kyles and Allen Warren to develop housing and possibly some type of retail at the FEMA Park. There was a contractual agreement in March of 2018 contingent upon the property being developed as to what Kyles and Warren envisioned with the City’s approval. Mr. Bullington talked about the FEMA Park and how 133 spots had been set up for trailers and the City ended up using 86 trailers after the tornado.
Cedric Kyles starting off by saying that he grew up in Caruthersville, and left when he was around 11 years old, but always considered Caruthersville home. It means a lot to him to be able to do something unique in Caruthersville, that would enhance the community. He wants to develop something that’s a staple to make the area appealing that people would want to be a part of. Cedric’s wife Lorne is a designer and Allen Warren his business partner is a developer and political figure in Sacramento, CA. Cedric’s sister-in-law Angie has been a liaison in getting the information needed for the project. Cedric looks forward to getting things moving along in the right direction working towards a common goal and thanked everyone.
Allen Warren expressed how he was glad to be in Caruthersville, and that he had been talking with Mr. Bullington on the phone. With meeting someone in his later years that was so good spirited and vibrant says a lot about the community. Allen spoke of growing up in a part of Sacramento, CA that was a depressed area, and he always wanted to do something to give back. This venture gives him a chance to do just that and wants the project to be self-sustaining.
They are not looking to get rich, but they do want to do something extraordinary to be an economic engine. Allen stated a fair price for the land had been established assuming that they can get something to work. There was a question as to what Cedric and Allen had in mind. Cedric stated the idea was to develop something residential and commercial, a modern place that sets in an oasis. They want to establish something that’s forward-thinking flowing traffic to the east side of town. Cedric also stated that he had seen other lots for opportunities for growth. Allen stated that the primary driver would be residential that they had to determine the housing stock.
They want to fit the needs of the community with 40 to 100 housing units with a small retail component. There could be 2 phases, the first being housing, and the second phase retail. April their engineer would have to get information from the City and the cost improvement for the site; there’s probably the need of cut and fill for proper drainage. Allen wanted to know how long it would take once everything was ironed out as to the City making a decision about the project, in which Counselor Dorroh stated a month. Cedric wanted to know the required square footage of each lot and height requirements. Counselor Dorroh stated that the square footage could be tailored to fit their needs and that there were small areas in town that were zoned R4 with 3 stories. There was a question about the
average size house in Caruthersville and price range. Councilperson Lyons stated 1600 to 1900 square feet at $50,000 to $75,000. Allen pointed out that there were programs in rural communities for home loans. There was also a question of the economic basis of the City. A lot of the residents work outside of the community, such as Blytheville, AR, and Dyersburg, TN. Mayor Grantham stated that an economic team has been working on attracting business to the area. At
this time a packet is being constructed for any potential businesses that would have interest in coming to Caruthersville.
With no further business to be discussed, Councilperson Duckworth motion to adjourn, second by Councilperson Lyons, with all in favor.