Published: November 30, 2008 08:50 pm      

Denny’s may seek city’s help

By Janet Jacobs

Daily Sun



The City of Corsicana is seeking a $750,000 grant from the state to install storm drain lines and roads around the proposed new Denny’s restaurant, which is expected to be built at the intersection of U.S. 287 and Interstate 45 in 2009.

The grant, which is being requested from the Department of Agriculture’s Texas Capital Fund, wouldn’t be to help build the Denny’s, only to help install the public roadways and sewers needed for the project, said Lee McCleary, Corsicana/Navarro County economic development director.

“It’s not going to Denny’s or the property owners,” McCleary said. “It’s going to the public infrastructure part of the project.”

The restaurant franchisees have said they want to have the store up and running by May.

The deadline for the grant application is December 2, and the city will be notified within 90 days about whether or not it will receive the grant. The city can’t start the work beforehand, McCleary said.

“No work on the public infrastructure portion of the project may commence until the contract with the State of Texas is fully executed,” he said.

The city council has approved the application.

The project’s developers may also ask for other assistance, perhaps an abatement or help with the infrastructure, said Yasser Alkhatib, owner of the franchise.

“When we built in Kaufman, we got some help from the city for infrastructure,” Alkhatib said. “We were talking to David Martin, and he said we can talk to the city.”

The $750,000 grant from the state, if approved, would be in addition to any other help, he said.

“They’re going to do a road to benefit the whole area, not just us,” he explained.

The road would connect the businesses on the north side of U.S. 287, including the Taco Bell, hotels and Denny’s.

Alkhatib said it’s a restaurant they want to build, but would welcome help, too.

They’re going to be talking to the planning and zoning commission in the coming weeks, he said.

“We’re very excited to be there, and everybody else wants us there,” he said. “I know we can do it, we just want to make sure everybody else is doing their part to get the project done.”

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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com