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SOUTH BEND REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SPECI L MEETING° July 10, 1975 Page 14. situation where they can negotiate for the sale and development of the particular piece of property. If more bids are received, and the Commission for whatever reason determines the bids are not acceptable, then we are at the same point as if no bids had been received. I am saying that the department can discuss with anybody who has any interest in that property. Right now, we are conducting, beginning probably early next week, very serious negotiations with the group who has actually submitted a bid under the current land use. Also, we will be negotiating and talking with International Constructor, and Mr. Jannotta with Real Estate Research who will be coming down early in the week. In talking with any other prospective developers, however, Steve, we would be dis- cussing with the developers the development of the land in accordance with the current land use plan, at least we are discussing it in terms of negotiation towards a contract." Mr.Parker said he was wondering about their bid- -does it have to be opened up to the public -- anyone who submitted a bid? Mr. Butler advised in order to award to International Constructors, that under their current proposal, we could not award the bid under the current land use. We would have to have the land use changed, and then we could call for bids again. Mrs. Janet S. Allen said on all this discussion in changing the land use and trying to negotiate all these things, instead why don't we go ahead and apply for a land use change. If it was changed, they wouldn't have to go to a motel even if it says you could; you could build whatever you wanted on this. In the meantime, "you are wasting so much time in negotiating - -maybe this; maybe that happening- -and you still have to change it for the drive -in bank. Why don't you go ahead and get this land use changed, and then put everything in, and then decide it. It would seem that would be a logical approach." Mr. Brownell said the "difficulty with that course is this. If this Commission decided to change the land use now and make a major change permitting the motel, permitting addi- tional housing, permitting whatever else they decide to include, then it would have to be re- appraised for reuse and a new price established by the appraisers, which we would then proclaim, and that would probably increase the price for this land substantially and we may end up with no bid from anybody, so we have to be practi- cal in that if we are going to put a land use on this land that isn't going to be used and thereby increase the price so that other bidders who don't want to use that land -use would be precluded from bidding." Mrs. Allen said, she understood "the reason that land was priced so low along the river - -which is the prime spot of this whole urban redevelopment - -it was priced low so that you could have multi- occupancy, you could have apartments, the high rise, etc. That's why the price was low. It.was not and never set low so that you could build offices, like one or two story offices - -a 14 -story building that was mentioned originally, but certainly not one and two story buildings. It seems to me the reason this while plan started was to open up the river