IBM coming to Columbia

Mayor Bob McDavid said IBM will be held to job-creation standards that come with the tax breaks and other incentives it received for coming here.

IBM opened its new Columbia building on Nov. 1. The town got its first look when IBM gave a tour to the media Wednesday.

IBM posts the first of 800 jobs it plans to offer at its new site in Columbia. The new technology service delivery center plans to open this fall.

The Columbia Area Jobs Foundation and Regional Economic Development Inc. are likely to play roles in future deals as well.

Recent events with Ford, IBM and financial regulation have one common theme — passing the expense to you and me.

IBM insisted on speed and secrecy when negotiating with the city to bring a new data center to Columbia.

Working with companies that aren't accountable to the public allowed Columbia to meet IBM's requirements of speed and confidentiality but raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Since IBM opened a service center in Dubuque, Iowa, the town has seen major changes. Local businesses have thrived and incoming workers have swooped up most of the rental properties available, but the company's presence also introduces new challenges to the city's real estate sector.

The incentives packages offered by Columbia and Dubuque, Iowa, were mainly in the form of tax credits and exemptions and promises to assist IBM with setup processes, such as recruitment and new employee training.

IBM employees brought in to Dubuque from other locations to staff the service delivery center flooded the town's rental housing market. Will the same thing happen here?

IBM's service center in Dubuque has affected several industries, but the biggest problem is finding rental housing for employees. REDI president Mike Brooks says that Columbia's housing market is more prepared to handle the influx of new employees.

At Monday's City Council meeting about the IBM deal, issues including where exactly IBM's new hires will come from — the Columbia area or elsewhere — were addressed, but answers just brought more questions.

Larry Embley Jr., 46, removed tangled safety equipment that anchored him to the roof the IBM Building before he fell to his death.

Project Tiger, Columbia's agreement to bring IBM to the city, is estimated to cause a growth spurt for local tax revenues.

The City Council approved a deal to bring IBM to Columbia at a special meeting Monday night. Residents and council members at the meeting expressed frustration with the secrecy surrounding the negotiations.

At special meeting, the Columbia City Council approved the city's deal with IBM, but some people and councilmembers questioned the secrecy involved in the negotiations.

Columbia Public Schools could benefit from a projected $4.3 million in additional tax revenue from IBM's decision to open a facility in Columbia. The money could stave off budget cuts in the next couple years.

Monday night's council meeting will include a public comment period for Project Tiger.

Comparing Columbia to TV's hit show "Lost," the separation between "insiders" and "outsiders" of mid-Missouri is widened by Columbia becoming a meaner place.

In order to receive the tax breaks and other incentives the city has offered, IBM has promised to bring at least 600 jobs to Columbia.