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“When the site is cleared this year, we will have completed Indiana’s most comprehensive <br />brownfield remediation effort – more than 2.5-million square feet in seven obsolete buildings <br />removed from the portion targeted for Ignition Park alone,” he said. <br /> <br />Transpo’s new administration, maintenance and operations facility – the first public facility <br />in Ignition Park – with its status as the nation’s first LEED Platinum-certified transit facility <br />is setting a high standard for the new private facility, according to Luecke. <br /> <br />“Like the curving roofline in the Transpo facility, Ignition Park is the bridge between South <br />Bend’s past and future,” Luecke said. “It connects us to our history as a world-famed <br />manufacturing center with innovative companies like Studebaker and Bendix. And it points <br />us to our promising future – a future rooted in entrepreneurship, technology, scientific <br />research and other innovations that are powering the new economy in South Bend.” <br /> <br />Speaking from the Indiana University School of Medicine in South Bend, Luecke highlighted <br />new development at the medical school, Innovation Park and Eddy Street Commons as signs <br />of excellence that have brought national recognition to South Bend. South Bend recently <br />received the National League of Cities’ Gold Award for Municipal Excellence for <br />revitalization of the Northeast Neighborhood. Other signs of excellence in 2010 included <br />being named the nation’s No. 1 city for value, stability and rising prices in a home, <br />designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community, and the recognition of two city officials – <br />Gary Gilot as the nation’s Public Works Leader of the Year and Phil St. Clair as Outstanding <br />Professional of the Year by the Indiana Parks & Recreation Association. <br /> <br />As an example of South Bend’s continued striving for excellence, Luecke announced two <br />new partnerships with IBM: <br /> <br />?Creation of a dashboard, or computerized control panel, for CSOnet, which is enabling <br />South Bend to become the world’s first city to monitor and control combined sewer <br />overflows with real-time sensors. <br /> <br />?Using IBM analytics and benchmarking to help South Bend become a “Smarter City,” <br />especially when competing for economic development, with support from IBM’s Global <br />Locations Strategies team. <br /> <br />“The state of the city is strong, but we strive for excellence,” Luecke said, noting that two <br />separate agencies improved bond ratings for the City in 2010. “We are financially sound, <br />with strong reserves that helped us to weather the recession and changes to our property tax <br />system that give us the ability to deal with the Blizzard of 2011 and to reinvest in facilities <br />and economic-development initiatives.” <br /> <br />Luecke also highlighted the City of South Bend’s support for job-creation and retention <br />efforts, through such efforts as its Business Growth Initiative with the Chamber of <br />Commerce. <br /> <br />“Despite bad news at Bosch and A.J. Wright, local companies are expanding and adding <br />jobs, and success at Innovation Park and Ignition Park has us poised to add a strong sector of <br />good-paying, high-tech jobs to our diversified economy,” he said. <br /> <br /># # # <br />