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CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK
<br /> Councilmember Tim Scott stated, I appreciate the transparency in all of this. Even when we did
<br /> this deal, you came before Council and said here,pick one(1)of the three(3) options. I appreciate
<br /> that. My only comment on whatever grocery store you go with is that it is all inclusive. Anybody
<br /> from the lower end of our income to the higher end of our income should be able to walk into that
<br /> store and take advantage of that. That is my one (1) and only piece of advice. I hope the
<br /> Administration understands that once the next development comes before us to ask Council for
<br /> our suggestion, as Mr. Bognar said, this is all part of TIF money which we don't have any say in
<br /> other than our representative, Gavin Ferlic, on this. I do appreciate the openness on the
<br /> conversation but, you know. I know your number, I can call you up, and I can also call up the
<br /> Administration if we are having issues. I appreciate your willingness to converse,but I have a huge
<br /> concern about what precedent this sets going forward.
<br /> Councilmember Broden stated, I will follow up on Councilmember Scott's comments. By
<br /> definition, I think we are being asked to weigh in on what was given as an addendum, correct? So,
<br /> definitionally,my understanding is that document is kind of what is going to go forward from here.
<br /> Then I think, also definitionally, I think with regard to this overall project and what was brought
<br /> before us, maybe all three (3) parties, Council, the Regional Cities group and then certainly the
<br /> public, the transformational aspect of this, and I think what drove us all in on the TIF and tax
<br /> abatements, was the grocery store concept. So, getting this nailed down is critical. If the question
<br /> is here today, or the weighing in, if you would, is definitional, anybody can give definition to that.
<br /> I mean, there is the Webster Dictionary on that. There is this piece which I see as something that
<br /> could work in terms of something traditional or perhaps a little bit different. I do know, though,
<br /> that the public record is replete with conversations on the pharmacy,the grocery store,office retail
<br /> and residential. Those kind of were morphed into different agreements but were pretty much
<br /> consistent, if not in the public record here before Council, but certainly within the Regional Cities
<br /> group and the kind of promotional stuff that was cranked out from that group. All of those things
<br /> were, I think, really important for the community, the Mayor and this Council, and I guess it hit
<br /> the transformation aspect that opened up those Regional Cities dollars. I don't want to lose track
<br /> of any of those balls, frankly, and I'm happy you are here today to provide that update. But
<br /> Martin's is not Spartan Nash and that was also a sales pull, I think. There was a lot of excitement
<br /> about getting the local group in, right? All the better. So, all of that was important. I think
<br /> conceptually, though, and getting back to the definition, what was put forth was specifically the
<br /> Goshen store as a model. So, I want to make sure we aren't going too far from the record of this.
<br /> And, I think the record itself informs up on some of these definitional aspects, both the formal
<br /> record and then the informal record of the public like media and other pieces cranked out.
<br /> She continued, So, definitionally, you know, if this is going to be embedded into this agreement, I
<br /> don't believe I have any issues with that. But, I guess I am, maybe similar to Tim's comment, if
<br /> the Redevelopment Commission or staff is looking for a green light, or maybe even a yellow light
<br /> in terms of the money on this, to your point, I really do think what's changed here, similar to if
<br /> you were going to go from condos to apartments, 20,000 square feet versus 60,000 square feet of
<br /> commercial, if you're going to change any of the components that goes into that space, I think
<br /> there is, and parking I think is a huge one(1)as we've discussed before.You could be in at a really
<br /> low level of space and then, you know, go three (3) times the amount once you put that
<br /> underground. So, I think the financials on this, in terms of what we have to date, and what has
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