Mitch Weber, president of Heffner and Weber Cos., yesterday presented a detailed proposal to the County Council, which must approve the tax-increment financing and special tax bonds the company is seeking for the Crosswinds Resort and Conference Center.

Mr. Weber, whose company is the design, development and construction manager for the developer, Asha Cos., said the proposal's details still are being worked out in negotiations with the county.

But Kirk Halpin, general counsel for Asha Cos., said if the county rejects the request, the developer will have to go back to the drawing board on the 30-acre, $437 million project in Linthicum.

"The project would have to be re-examined," he said.

In return for help from the county, the developers projected a massive influx of taxes and new jobs for the county totaling more than $1 billion over 10 years.

Crosswinds is a central part of County Executive John R. Leopold's vision for continued development of the area surrounding the airport, which he has dubbed "aerotropolis."

Robert Hannon, president and CEO of the county Economic Development Corp., said several things still need to be sorted out between the county and developers, such as verification of market demand, financial projections and other factors.

But John Hammond, county budget officer, said this would be the largest assistance ever granted by the county for a developer. He said a tax-increment financing agreement of about $28 million was issued for Arundel Mills mall in Hanover, while the National Business Park in Annapolis Junction received $14 million.

The proposal seeks two types of assistance from the county in paying for the project.

In the first phase, the developer is asking the county to issue $48.5 million in bonds for Phase I of the project, which would include a 482-room hotel, an 82,000-square-foot conference center, 54,000 square feet of restaurant, retail, health club and spa space, and a 1,392-space parking garage. The phase would cost $187.1 million and would open in January 2011, the developers said.

The bonds would be sold to investors and be paid back through the tax revenues generated within a special tax district set up to encompass the resort, said Kevin Quinn, president of the Wye River Group and financial adviser on Crosswinds.

The second major piece of the financing proposal is tax-increment financing. Increased property taxes on the land would pay $11 million toward Phase I construction of the conference center parking garage.

"They're basically making an investment on the premise that the improvements will be made and there will be a substantial property tax increase," Mr. Quinn said.

But County Councilman Daryl Jones, whose district includes the site, said setting up a TIF is a trade-off, taking money away that normally would go into the general fund.

"The question becomes whether the investment in the tax increment will yield a positive result for the county in terms of the business development and the taxes that are imposed," said Mr. Jones, D-Severn.

Mr. Weber said costs, revenue and other financial figures are preliminary.

Under the proposal, the developers would put up $14 million for the garage in Phase I, $17 million for related land and on-site infrastructure costs and $6.5 million for off-site public infrastructure. The developer also is proposing the county use $9.5 million in impact fees for infrastructure improvements.

Phase II of the center would open in June 2011 and include a 490-room themed hotel, a 140,000-square-foot indoor aquatic center, 40,000 more square feet of restaurant and retail space, 41,000 square feet of additional conference center and 798 more parking spaces.

The project financing would include $14.3 million from the sale of bonds, $5.5 million through tax-increment financing and $8.8 million from the developer for additional parking spaces. Phase II would cost $201.2 million.

Phase III is designed to include more hotels, meeting space and another garage.