JONESBORO — Roman United, the company responsible for a proposed $800 million luxury mixed-use project in Lake City, has failed to meet benchmarks set by Clayton County to build a $4 million business incubator at the site.
The county has so far contributed $559,000 in funding for the incubator’s architectural design and engineering.
County Attorney Charles Reed explained during the Board of Commissioners meeting March 7 that county officials sent a letter Jan. 4 alerting Roman United the county was no longer obligated to participate due to unmet benchmarks.
The apparent lack of movement and unmet obligations have county officials questioning the project, which is proposed to be developed on 26 acres at 5711 Jonesboro Road, the site of a former grocery store.
The Roman United project, according to Invest Clayton Director Larry Vincent, is moving forward. Vincent stated that company officials are negotiating an agreement with a general contractor, and have signed contracts for geo technical services as well as a contract for the Development of Regional Impact study.
Commissioners claim information about the project was incomplete when it was presented to the board last year.
Commissioner Alieka Anderson questioned Vincent about an email sent in 2021 by county Financial Advisor Ed Wall who Anderson said seemed like he wasn’t in favor of the project. She said neither she nor other board members were aware of Wall’s opinion.
Commissioner Felicia Franklin said her vote to move forward with the incubator would have been different if she had had all the information.
“I can state on the record information was withheld,” she said. “Decisions would have been different. If we only have pieces of a puzzle then how can you make up our mind of what we’re going to do. We did make up our mind, but it was absent of…
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