Lancaster First
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

How Much is Too Much?

According to the LCCCA's "Sources and Uses" document dated March 27, 2007,

The anticipated cost of the proposed hotel and convention center is now $169,781,172

The LCCCA has borrowed $63,920,000 for 40 years in "variable rate 7-day demand bonds" using a risky "interest rate swap"

Total anticipated cost of the proposed convention center: $97,507,456

Total anticipated State grants for the proposed convention center: $15,000,000

Total anticipated cost of the proposed "private" hotel: $72,273,716

Total anticipated State grants for the proposed "private" hotel: $37,273,717

The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Lancaster has borrowed $14,523,716 from Fulton Bank to help build the "private" hotel, to be repaid by an anticipated $1 million each year in State Act 23/TIF funds which are guaranteed by Lancaster City taxpayers

Penn Square Partners has a commitment from Wachovia Bank to borrow $24 million, which is to be repaid by the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Lancaster from "lease payments" made by the Penn Square Partners on the City-owned hotel building

The issuer of the LCCCA bonds is Wachovia Bank, which has obtained a lien on all proceeds from the "hotel tax" for 40 years. Since the LCCCA bonds are so speculative, Wachovia Bank has provided an additional guarantee for the County-backed bonds at the cost of an additional 0.95% fee, and for the rest of the bonds at an additional 1.25% fee. These guarantees could total $6.5 million or more over the term of the bonds. Without these guarantees, the LCCCA's bonds would have been given a "junk" rating.



updated July 25, 2007 at 10:00 PM

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