The Standard, a high-profile mixed-use remake of the old Carrefour site at Poplar Avenue and Kirby Parkway, is heading into crunch time at Germantown City Hall. Aldermen are set to decide whether to approve tax-increment financing for the project, a move that would open the door for public tax revenue to help pay for its supporting infrastructure.
The city’s Industrial Development Board has already given the TIF request a green light to advance, voting on Tuesday to recommend that aldermen take it up, according to the Daily Memphian. That vote pushed Germantown’s first formal TIF application into its final round of municipal review.
What Is Planned And How The TIF Would Work
City materials show The Standard spans roughly 10.11 acres. Phase I already includes about 12,000 square feet of commercial space. Phase II is slated to bring roughly 320 apartments, 27,000 square feet of retail, and a structured parking garage, with construction projected from April 2026 through October 2028.
Under Germantown’s TIF policy, new property tax revenue generated by a project, the increment, can be used for public improvements such as roads, utilities, and stormwater infrastructure. The idea is to help cover those costs without dipping into the city’s existing property tax base. Any TIF payouts would be reviewed each year and checked for compliance by the Industrial Development Board, according to the City of Germantown.
Neighbors Push Back
Not everyone is thrilled about using a tax incentive to help the project along. A Jan. 20 public hearing drew a crowd and vocal opposition, with dozens of residents urging officials to reject TIF support for The Standard, the Commercial Appeal reported. Even with that pushback on the record, the Industrial Development Board still voted to recommend approval, sending the proposal to aldermen for a final call, per the Daily Memphian.
What Happens Next
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen is up next, and its decision will determine whether TIF financing is part of The Standard’s future. If aldermen approve the TIF, a formal agreement would spell out how increment dollars can be used and would be subject to annual monitoring by the city.
For a deeper look at how this proposal fits into the broader redevelopment of the Poplar and Kirby gateway and Germantown’s early steps into TIF territory, revisit our January coverage of the suburb’s first TIF project.
