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a <br />PROGRESS REPORTS (Cont'd) <br />Mr. Wayne Brownell further explained that HUD, <br />in January, 1973, had stopped the low -cost hous- <br />ing, which the plan had called for. We had an <br />update from Real Estate Research, Chicago, as <br />our consultants, on the original LUM study. The <br />update disclosed the need for additional office <br />space in that block so the use was changed to <br />Service Commercial /Residential use--limited to <br />no more than 200 units of residential apartments <br />and other office buildings and parking. This was <br />reviewed by City Council. <br />The present plan is to have a Service Commercial/ <br />Residential use. The difficulty in that plan was <br />that when the appraisers appraised the property <br />they came back and said it had to be fire -proof <br />apartments. This gives a negative land value. <br />Mr. Butler advised that it is not practical to <br />build under that type of construction. The <br />effect of Fire District No. 1 requirements for <br />housing, is virtually disastrous to any developer <br />involved in the building costs to meet the higher <br />standards. Multi - housing in South Bend is not <br />built in that fashion for Fire District No. 1 re- <br />quirements. <br />Relative to the question, "What established Fire <br />District No. 1 as opposed to Fire District No. 2 ?" <br />Mr. Butler advised high buildings in highly - congested <br />areas, as defined and adopted by Common Council, are <br />established to be in Fire District No. 1, as opposed <br />to Fire District No. 2. <br />Mr. Butler advised they did discuss this with the <br />Building Department, with the insurance underwriters <br />for the City, and basically the determination was <br />that the development plan for Block 6 is not highly <br />congested development, and, therefore, accepted his <br />definition of Fire District No. 1 and appropriate <br />not to require that type of construction in the dis- <br />trict. <br />This territory has always been Fire Code No. 1-- Lincoln- <br />way East cutting through Block 6, with Slick's Laundry, <br />several businesses and residences, that were a part <br />of the downtown area. Now we are discussing the 16 -acre <br />site. Basically talking about how fast the fire trucks <br />can get to the site. That is the reason in highly - <br />congested area for the difference in time for the fire <br />trucks to operate. Steel, concrete reinforcements, etc., <br />are required for the code. Everything there was in <br />violation when the Department of Redevelopment took it <br />over. <br />- 15 - <br />