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SPECIAL MEETING NOVEMBER 30, 2010 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />have to be looking down the road and want this facility to have a minor league team, an <br />affiliated minor league team not just for us or him or the investors that got involved in <br />this an most of them got involved because they didn’t want to see the team leave South <br />Bend. They didn’t get involved because they knew they were going to make a buck by <br />making an investment in this team. Looking ahead this isn’t just about us it’s about <br />who’s going to be here when we are gone. We want a community that is attractive that <br />meets all of the standards (not just baseball standards) but it’s community standards. <br />How do we elevate ourselves and how to think about the downtown being the face of the <br />community and what do they need to do and there have been great things that have been <br />done, things that are underway and one of them is the Synagogue and that it will be used <br />as the team store. It will be the only retail facility within blocks of there but what they <br />hope will happen by saving that 110 old facility that has a great history is to stimulate <br />other retail activity to take place. That it is okay to have a retail store there. It’s okay to <br />have a restaurant, it’s okay to live in that part of the community, it’s okay to have your <br />business there like Wightman Pietre right across the street from the ball park, they <br />invested in that building and were the first guys to really show up their because they <br />believe in the community and they as well as all of us hope that they will see <br />development take place there. Mr. Kernan stated that this is a long answer to <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis’ question, but realizes that we are at a crossroads and know <br />that these are difficult times and understand that, but the Mayor hit it right on the head <br />when he said you get more for your dollar, you are putting people to work that live here <br />in the community and are doing things that will make a difference in how we go forward <br />from here. <br /> <br />Councilmember Rouse reminded Governor Kernan of his report Keranan/Shephard and a <br />report from William Hojanacki, stating that the City of South Bend cannot carry the <br />whole community. He reiterated what he stated earlier that going forward the City is <br />going to have to find more innovative ways to sustain the Cove. He stated that it is a <br />beautiful facility and it does add to the quality of life, but Portage Township cannot carry <br />it all. He stated that he is not saying to get rid of all the parks, however, there is going to <br />have to be other ways to find funds to sustain those facilities without using tax dollars. <br />He stated that most people who use the park don’t live within the City and that is great, <br />however, they are not paying for this wonderful facility either. Councilmember Rouse <br />referred to a letter that he received from Claey’s Candy a company directly across the <br />street from the Cove which states that they believe in maintaining the facility but don’t do <br />all the other extravagant things. Councilmember Rouse stated that Claey’s is a small <br />business in the community that was founded in 1919 and is still here today. <br />Councilmember Rouse stated that he will not be voting in favor of using COIT and EDIT <br />funds but will support the other funding to make sure that we have a facility that is <br />maintained. <br /> <br />Mr. Kernan stated that the plan that was put together involved the Department of Public <br />Works, Department of Economic Development, the Controller’s Office and the Park <br />Department. He stated that they were there at the table to talk about in an advisory <br />capacity, and reiterated that it’s not the Silverhawks Ball Park, it’s the communities <br />ballpark and the list of things that were proposed were things that the Mayor put forward <br />and believed that they were the right things to do to make a difference. When you talk <br />about amenities and when you go into any other ball park that has been built in the last 15 <br />years there is a 360º concourse that goes around it and if you want to connect the <br />downtown together physically it has to be done at centerfield and you can’t just bring <br />people in and have them cut across the diamond in order for them to get to their seats, <br />you need a concourse to take you all around and the design is not unlike what Victory <br />Field looks like. Victory Field in Indianapolis has railroad tracks going down the right <br />field line just like we do. It sits right in the same part of downtown, it’s got White River <br />Park and we have the neighborhood. He stated that parking is a huge issue and we want <br />people to be able to park downtown because we want there to be more activity in the <br />downtown area. He stated that it is the Council’s call but if we are unable to make the <br />investments that have been proposed we are going to sell ourselves short. He stated that <br />the Mayor made it very clear that the County Option Income Tax Dollars are dedicated <br />monies and are going into public safety fund and dedicated for that purpose. It is not <br />going to find it’s way into what is being proposed here, it’s not going to come out of the <br /> 10 <br /> <br />