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5 0 U A6 END 1 MARCH 2008 Mayon 5iFpkF -,y J. LUFck,, Letter from the Mayor THIS MONTH... Dear Friends and Neighbors, Mayor's Letter Earth Day Events Times have been tough lately for average Americans. Gas prices and rising Spring Clean Up 2008 Clean Your Files Day medical costs continue to consume greater portions of household income. The Downspout Disconnect U.S. housing market is in its worst slump since the Great Depression with First Time Home Buyers new housing starts nationally their lowest in 16 years. A poll in February sug- 0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 gested that 61 percent of Americans believe the nation is now in a recession. SPRING CLEAN UP 2008 • But as we weather one of our harsh Midwest winters, there are very posi- • RECYCLING • tive signs of a warming trend in South Bend. The total value of construction • • improvements in the city reached its highest level in 16 years in 2007, accord- • SPRING IS IN THE AIR!! It's time to • ing to yearend figures from our Building Department. New construction last • • clean out basements, closets, attics, book- • year totaled more than $181 million, up 36 percent from 2006. This amount • shelves, boxes and cabinets. The Fall Book • well surpassed the annual average valuation of $122 million and represents a Collection netted 2 tons of books, 225 cell • record high since the consolidation of city and county building departments. • phones and 16 lbs. of shoes all donated to the And, for the 12�' consecutive ear, more than 100 new houses were built in y area nonprofit agencies for reuse. • SHOE COLLECTION: All shoes must be • the city. • • • paired and with rubber bands around them The fact that this growth occurs at the same time as a national housing • please! NO: jelly or plastic shoes, golf or cle- crisis is truly remarkable. This new investment in South Bend will help us to ated shoes, western boots or roller skates, bed- • expand our residential base and spur on new growth in both population and • room slippers, or shoes with tears, grass • economic development. • stains, dirty or generally worn out. • BOOK COLLECTION: only morally ate- • The city's total permits issued in 2007 surpassed the total for the rest of the • propriate books accepted. They will be put to • county, while the number of new commercial buildings increased by one -third good use rather than wastefully being dumped over the previous year. • into the landfill. Results like these call attention to the strength of South Bend's diverse • CELL PHONES: donated to the • economy and the City of South Bend's efforts to create a foundation upon • Women's Shelter for emergency use. • which economic development can flourish. One example of that is the City's • EYE GLASSES: donated to the Lions. • • decade -long work with the University of Notre Dame and other neighborhood • Please drop -off all items at the District Of- • groups that led to the development of the Eddy Street Commons. Construc- fice at 621 East Jefferson Blvd. Mon. - Fri., • tion will begin this spring on this $200 - million mixed -use development. Its • March 24 thru March 28 8:00 - 4 :30 or the • quality and unprecedented scope will bring a heightened national focus to • Household Hazardous Waste facility at 1105 South Bend's progress. • East 5ffi Street in Mishawaka Tue. - Sat., • • March 25 thru March 29 8:30 - 3 :30. • The construction of new housing in conjunction with Eddy Street Com- • mons and the City's targeted efforts to reduce the number of vacant and aban- . If you are unable to meet the above sched- • doned houses will positively impact the local housing market. • ule, please contact Jessica Spenner at • 245 -6604. Donations will be accepted until • Thanks to the Eddy Street Commons and other efforts, we're expecting • April 4, 2008. • that 2008 will shatter all previous construction records. We're expecting a • • groundbreaking year all over the city — our best year for economic develop- ment in a generation. In spite of dire economic trends across the nation, South • LARGE ELECTRONICS: Please bring old • Bend anticipates sunnier skies in 2008. • analog TV's, VCRs, and computers to 1105 E. • g p • • 5th St. Mishawaka, 46544, Tues. - Sat. 9:00 • Sincerely, a.m. - 3:00 p.m throughout the year. • 'r_ • $12 for each large electronic item. • Mayor Steve Luecke • • • Sponsored by the • Solid Waste • Management District