11-17 Riverfront District Expansion

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AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION AND MAP WITHIN ORDINANCE NO. 10165-12 AS PREVIOUSLY AMENDED TO EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE EXISTING RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA UNDER IND. CODE 7.1- 3 -20 -16 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT On June 25, 2012, by Ordinance No. 10165 -12, the South Bend Common Council first created a Riverfront Development Project Area within the City of South Bend that provides special alcoholic beverage permits for qualified businesses within the defined boundaries of the Project Area. That ordinance became effective June 26, 2012 upon signature by Mayor Pete Buttigieg. These special alcoholic beverage permits are authorized under Ind. Code § 7.1 -3 -20- 16 (The Act), which allows the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC) to issue non- transferable alcoholic beverage permits in designated economically distressed areas within 1,500 feet of a river without regard to State controlled permit quotas. Since South Bend's Riverfront Development Project Area was first established in 2012, its boundaries have been amended to incorporate additional qualified, contiguous land with the intent of spurring further economic growth in the downtown area and cultivating the St. Joseph River as a City asset, most recently by Ordinance No. 10281 -13, passed on December 9, 2013. (One additional amendment was made to correct the original legal description, i.e., Ord. No.14178 -12). This special riverfront development project alcoholic beverage permit, granted solely to those qualified South Bend businesses which focus on a dining and cultural experience, has been a boost to the downtown and East Bank South Bend area. Since passage of the original ordinance, a total of fourteen (14) businesses now exist that have met the stringent qualifications for this permit. These qualifications were developed through the Department of Community Investment working with Downtown South Bend (DTSB). The popularity of the existing businesses prove that this is an effective economic development tool for business attraction and retention in the downtown and East Bank South Bend area. Because of this program's success, the Riverfront License Application Review Committee met on February 14, 2017 and unanimously recommended that further extension of the Riverfront area boundaries is in the best interest of the City and its citizens. An increased area is expected to attract development of more dining and cultural opportunities primarily in the East Bank area of South Bend. The existing Riverfront Development area will be expanded slightly eastward along the entire downtown South Bend boundary, and mostly westward and southward along the East Bank of the St. Joseph River. The newly described area satisfies the criteria of IC 7.1 -3 -20 -16.1 to qualify as a Riverfront Development Project Area.