Quincy 'big box' ban to end

City developing standards for large retail

QUINCY - The retail moratorium in Quincy may come to an end in December.

The planning commission is closing in on creating design standards and guidelines for large retail businesses who wish to build in the city, Mayor Jim Hemberry said during a Tuesday night council meeting. The planning commission is expected to have a proposal ready in December.

The moratorium applies to retail businesses exceeding 80,000 square feet, often referred to as "big box" stores. During the moratorium large retail businesses are prohibited from building in the city.

The moratorium was initially discussed because council wanted to prevent large vacant buildings from being left in their downtown areas and want to keep the downtown area uniform. Council discussed the other effects of large retail including crime rates and wage rates.

The planning commission has been meeting every two weeks to define guidelines since the inception of the moratorium.

The moratorium was established in July. During the moratorium, no large retail businesses made requests to build in the city.