Don Sinex
Redstone's challenges could seal the project's fate. The longer the litigation lasts, the less attractive CityPlace is to lenders and the harder it becomes for the developers to meet the city-imposed deadline to start construction. If work doesn't begin by September 2022, a development agreement says that the project partners will have to pay the cost of reconnecting St. Paul and Pine streets to the city grid instead of being reimbursed by tax-increment financing funds. Allowing the former mall to sever those streets disrupted travel by motorists and pedestrians for decades and is now seen as a planning mistake. The developers deeded the land for the streets back to the city late last week, the mayor's office announced on Tuesday.