DAPHNE, Ala.— On Monday night, Tom Hickman, a representative for the developers of a potential Academy Sports and Outdoors location in Daphne along U.S. Highway 90 near the Mobile Infirmary location, approached the council to discuss a tax incentive program for the property.

While developing the property, Hickman said, improvements would be made to the property and surrounding areas that would greatly benefit the community. The improvements include adding deceleration and turn lanes to U.S. Highway 90, along with traffic light modifications and a storm-water retention pond for storm-water management that will alleviate some of the issues in Joe’s Branch. They also would include a sanitary sewer-lift system.

“Out of this will come substantial improvements to Highway 90 and the surrounding infrastructure. A very important component to that is addressing a sensitive issue in the city now. We are proposing to create a new regional storm-water retention system,” Hickman said.

The proposed improvements will cost almost $2 million, and the developer is willing to pay the bill up front in exchange for a tax incentive from the city, which would pay the developer back incrementally within 15 years.

Hickman proposed a deal by which the retailer would keep 1 percent of the sales tax for the city of Daphne for up to 15 years, or until the retailer has been paid back the $1.9 million it will put in to make improvements.

The city’s Finance Committee gave a favorable recommendation to accept the tax incentives and the matter will come before the city council later.

Councilman Ron Scott said the benefits of welcoming the development were numerous.

“The next item on our work session agenda tonight is department restructure and a lot of our employees here tonight are wondering whether they are going to have a job tomorrow. For us not to work, for us to draw a line in the sand and not work with someone that could help bring needed sales tax dollars, I think that is a mistake,” Scott said.