07/09/07 Council Meeting Minutes

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING JULY 9, 2007 Councilmember Rouse asked if the Commission voted unanimously on this issue. Mr. Nemeth stated that one Commission Member abstained from voting and thought the vote was 10-1. Mr. David M Compton, Vice President, Kite Realty, 30 S. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, made the presentation for this bill. Mr. Compton advised that they are pleased to be here tonight to present a detail overview of the Eddy Street Commons Development. The development is approximately 25 acres located near the intersection of Angela & Edison. Approximately 13. 5 acres of the site that is proposed to be developed in Phase I is currently wooded. Mr. Compton stated that it is important to talk about the neighborhood history. It dates back to 1968 with the founding of the NENC. After decades of disinvestment in the Northeast Neighborhood. There was a group of concerned residents who got together and said that they can do better, by brining the neighborhood up, redevelop the area into something special. This led to formation of the NNRO in the 2000, where the City of South Bend, University of Notre, Madison Center and several other organizations got together to really jump start the process and provide the financial capital for this redevelopment to begin. The NNRO solicited input from the neighborhoods adjacent to the area. They had meetings over an extended period of time and as a result developed a plan with seven different redevelopment themes. The underlying theme of the neighborhood that Redevelopment proposed was New Urbanism. Live, Work, Play, with a walkable neighborhood, bike paths, pedestrian friendly in its setting. Connectivity was also an important part to existing neighborhoods. Density was going to be there along with open space. The plan sets out the seven different distinct neighborhoods. There are two commercial nodes as well as two areas specifically targeted for affordable housing. One of those that will be part of this development indirectly is the triangle. Part of the TIF proceeds that are proposed to be generated by the Eddy Street Common Development will be utilized to build the infrastructure so that the Triangle north of SR 23 can be redeveloped. Talking about the time line in 1968 the NNRO was formed. From 2003 to 2006 a number of meetings were held, some of the things discussed during the course of these public meetings were the reconstruction of SR 23, Five Points modifications along with the proposed plans for Eddy Street. Commons. In 2003, NENC started to begin to provide updates on the Eddy Street Commons in their newsletter that was mailed to all residents. There are about 2,500 residents on the NENC mailing list, giving them an update and also encouraging them to come to meetings. In 2004 to 2006 the South Bend Administration and Council began working on City Plan for its final adoption. From this came the Kite proposal. Kite originally became involved in the development in August 2005 responding to a RFP by the University of Notre Dame. By May of 2006 the plan that is proposed tonight was developed by Kite Realty Group. Some of the key components of this plan include 82,000 square feet of retail located along Eddy Street, 121 apartments, just under 25,000 square feet of office, 150 room limited service hotel, and 374 for sale residences. Some of the preliminary renderings that were widely distributed and came out of the May 2006 included along Angela & Edison, five story buildings. In addition the proposed hotel was seven stories in height, but the condominium flats next were five stories in height. So as far back as May 2006 there was some height and mass involved in the proposed plan that was part Eddy Street Commons. These plans were updated by Kite and the current plan that was developed which maintained retail along the Eddy Street Corridor. The total number of units both residential and apartment in total came to 500, office space at 75,000 square feet, 139 limited service hotel, and a 246 room full service hotel was added to the mix. With respect to the commercial, there is retail on the first floor and residential on the three floors above. With respect to the hotel, it is a nine story hotel that does include the condominiums are including in that nine story and Kite is willing to provide a written commitment to the Council and satisfactory to legal counsel in regards to that limitation. There was some question at the committee meeting this afternoon. With a six story limited service hotel fronting Edison. The buildings along Eddy Street will be four stories with the exception of the corners on Angela and Eddy will have a five story. Think of it as book ending the community welcoming people into the development. But 10