Jamestown  (CSi)   The Jamestown City Council will hold a Special Meeting in conjunction with the Public Works and Police & Fire Committee meeting on Thursday August 22 at 4-p.m.,at City Hall.

During the meeting a Public Hearing  will be held regarding a council vote on a tax exemption for the top four floors of the planned UJ Place.

City Administrator, Sarah Hellekson says the meeting is timed to allow the city to meet legal notice guidelines regarding a special meeting while still attempting to meet the project’s construction schedule.

UJ Place is the planned mixed use project on the University of Jamestown Campus,  across the street from Harold Newman Arena. The ground floor will be occupied by businesses while the top four floors would provide housing for university students and staff.

The project Developer, Epic Management of Fargo, has requested a five-year property tax exemption for the top four floors of the building. The property tax exemption could be granted under North Dakota’s tax increment financing.  The building will be owned by EPIC, and retail space on the first floor, taxable.

On a recent Wayne Byers Show, on CSi Cable 2, Jamestown Mayor, Dwaine Heinrich said, the land is owned by UJ and not taxed.  The building is being appraised at $20 million dollars.

The Jamestown City Council had approved authorizing attorneys to prepare the legal documents granting the exemption for consideration, and approved working with John Shockley, with Ohnstad Twitchell, the City’s representative.