Branson's Gretna Road TIF Redevelopment Plan: A new era for economic growth

The City of Branson is embarking on a significant redevelopment and transformation of the Gretna Road Branson Meadows corridor. You can find details and specifics about this in the “Gretna Road and Town and Country Drive Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Plan. The following questions and answers are the result of an AI analysis of the plan, filtered through the author’s experience and knowledge. It is the first in a series on the TIF Plan:

1. What is the Gretna Road and Town and Country Drive Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Plan? Submitted on July 3, 2025, the Gretna Road and Town and Country Drive Tax Increment Financing Plan is an amended Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Plan prepared by Polsinelli PC and the City of Branson, Missouri, on behalf of Branson Meadows TIF CO LLC.

2. What is its purpose? To provide for the redevelopment of 136 acres, identified as a “blighted area,” along and adjacent to Gretna Road and Branson Meadows. Under the TIF Plan this is the “Redevelopment Area.”

3. How was the area determined to be “blighted?” A comprehensive Blight Study dated June 20, 2025, determined the area was “blighted” based on specific criteria outlined in the Missouri Real Property Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act. Insanitary or unsafe conditions, such as squatter camps and overgrown vegetation, significant trash and debris from illegal dumping, a lack of improved roadways in some areas, and deteriorating pavement, parking facilities and curbing, were all physical conditions that supported the blight determination.

4. In addition to the physical conditions, does economic underutilization enter into the “blight” determination?Yes, it’s a critical aspect of the blight determination. The Missouri Supreme Court has affirmed that “the concept of urban redevelopment has gone far beyond ‘slum clearance’ and the concept of economic underutilization is a valid one.” Blight can exist if an area “no longer meets the economic and social needs of modern city life and progress” or if its redevelopment “could promote a higher level of economic activity, increased employment and greater services to the public.”

5. What is the total cost of the Gretna Road and Town and Country Drive Tax Increment Financing Plan? The total estimated cost of the redevelopment in the Gretna Road and Town and Country Drive Tax Increment Financing Plan is approximately $400,578,859.00.

6. Is the total cost broken down? Yes, into two main Project Categories, the Developer Redevelopment Projects (Redevelopment Project Area 1 and 2) with an estimated total cost $300,007,914.00, and the City Redevelopment Project (Redevelopment Area 3) at an estimated cost of $100,570,945.00.

7. What will the Developer Redevelopment Projects consist of? Land acquisition, engineering, site preparation, marketing, design and construction of about 345,000 square feet of commercial and retail space (including restaurants, retail, tourist attractions and office space), approximately 300 housing units, around 231 hotel and short-stay units and related public and private infrastructure. Construction on these projects is scheduled to begin in 2027 and 2029, with anticipated completion dates of 2030 and 2032, respectively.

8. What will the City Redevelopment Project Consist of? Land acquisition, engineering, site preparation, design, and construction of an indoor and/or outdoor sports complex with various facilities to support sporting uses, and related public and private infrastructure. The City Redevelopment Project is anticipated to commence construction in late 2026 or early 2027 and is expected to be completed by 2029.