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South Bend Redevelopment Commission <br />Rescheduled Regular Meeting -August 25, 2006 <br />6. NEW BUSINESS (CONT.) <br />A. Public Hearing <br />() continued... <br />are coming from and I think it is interesting <br />to note, Mr. Phair is saying he is not <br />intending to be using any TIF funds in the <br />Portage Prairie Project. I think that is <br />interesting information. <br />I will try to address some of the other points <br />that he raised in a statement that I have <br />prepared. The Redevelopment Commission <br />at its July 21 meeting approved a <br />Development Agreement that promised to <br />support the use of $2.1 million in Blackthorn <br />TIF revenue, plus $4.5 million in tax <br />abatements for the Portage Prairie <br />Development. The Commission is now <br />considering Resolution No. 2254, which <br />would bring the first phase of Portage Prairie <br />into the Airport Economic Development <br />Area. I am opposed to Resolution No. 2254 <br />because to focus only on Portage Prairie, and <br />to subsidize it in this way risks aggravating <br />the problems of older areas of the city. <br />Portage Prairie could worsen the problem of <br />disinvestment in poorer areas of the city as <br />businesses in these areas suffer from the pull <br />of new growth on the fringe. It would be <br />difficult for residents of the inner city <br />without automobiles to benefit from jobs at <br />Portage Prairie because of the distance and <br />the lack of public transportation. Ithink it's <br />important to note, this is not a position <br />against growth. This is a position that tries to <br />take into account the perhaps unintended <br />consequences of growth in the fringe area of <br />the city and the possibilities of economic <br />development in older, core areas of the city. I <br />21 <br />