Rome city commissioners hit the brakes Monday on a $5.6 million tax incentive package for a new residential development on Match Point Way, deciding to wait until they have final paperwork in hand before signing off. The commission voted to table the tax allocation district agreement rather than approve funding for the project, which sits on land owned by Berry College near the Rome Tennis Center and Mount Berry Mall.
Why the Vote Got Pushed Back
City Manager Sammy Rich told commissioners the holdup comes down to incomplete documentation, according to WRGA. “We've yet to receive the final covenants that we're going to be incorporated as part of our development agreement,” Rich said. Those covenants are meant to spell out design standards and restrictions for the development, and officials said they still need additional information from Berry College before moving forward, per The Rome News-Tribune.
The Rome Redevelopment Agency had already recommended approving the funding request, but only on the condition that the city commission later signs off on a final development agreement, the News-Tribune reported. The developer had previously trimmed its ask substantially, dropping the request from $11.2 million down to the current $5.6 million figure.
What's Actually Being Built
The News-Tribune describes the proposed development as 240 apartments and 120 townhomes on a 37.9-acre site. The station's report, along with Coosa Valley News, also describes 240 apartments and 120 townhomes, for 360 units total, spread across 37.9 acres.
Developer Robert Stiegele has said the project would include two recreation centers, a gym, gathering areas, coffee space and dog-wash stations, per the News-Tribune's account. The site itself has history: the Rome City Commission approved a rezoning request for apartments and townhomes on Match Point Way near the tennis center back in December 2025, shifting the property from Community-Commercial to Multifamily-Residential, according to WRGA. At that time, the site plan presented showed roughly 300 dwelling units, and commissioners added a condition requiring a second permanent access point to the property after dropping a staff recommendation for a fence.
The Numbers Behind the Tax Deal
A tax allocation district works by letting a local government capture a slice of the additional property tax revenue generated once new development or rising property values boost the tax base within a designated area, according to the City of Rome. The proposed agreement limits payments strictly to the additional tax revenue the project actually generates, and could provide up to $5.6 million in reimbursements over no more than 10 years — notably shorter than the up-to-30-year lifespan the city says TADs typically run in Georgia.
Over a seven-year window, the project is projected to generate $6,464,027 in incremental taxes for the City of Rome and Rome City Schools, per WRGA's reporting. The $5.6 million being requested works out to 86.63% of that projected increment, with the two jurisdictions retaining roughly $864,000 in property taxes during that same seven-year stretch.
What Happens Next
The commission is expected to take the request back up at its next meeting, according to Coosa Valley News, though the evidence available does not establish whether a final vote will land in the city's favor or whether construction timelines will shift as a result of the delay. In the meantime, Rome city offices will close Wednesday in observance of Veterans Day, though garbage collection routes will run on their normal schedule.
