12-09-19 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING December 9, 2019 the national average and in some cases dipped below it, as in 2017. Population is estimated to have grown one percent (1 %) between 2012 and 2017, a modest but very meaningful number for a City that lost a quarter of its population after the 1960s. We have seen billions of dollars in investment come to our City, and over 15,000 jobs have been added in our metro area. Much of this resurgence has happened within walking distance of where we are gathered. So swift and so welcome is this growth that we may forget how recently the LaSalle building stood empty and the JMS was in serious need of repair; how recently the idea of people living in the Hibberd building by the Gates Chevy lot would have seemed laughable, no less than that of a seven -story development rising on the East Bank or a groundbreaking on a transformed Commerce Center. Not long ago we were asking if the Chase Tower might just need to be torn down. Walking down Main Street just a few years ago, shoulders squared a little bit against the rush of four (4) lanes of one (1)-way traffic evacuating the downtown at rush hour, you might have wondered aloud about whether we could ever get the Hall of Fame off the City's books and back on the tax rolls, or if any further investment in Coveleski Stadium and the South Bend Silver Hawks was worth the risk, while the broken windows of the Studebaker Assembly building loomed over that stadium and the whole downtown. Now you can make out the new facade of that building as you walk or bike along that same street, past the statue of Dr. King and Father Ted and the street trees and flowers maintained by DTSB, and cross paths with guests from one (1) of three (3) hotels, see diners headed to or from dozens of restaurants, or —the most striking change —run across hundreds of people who don't just work or recreate downtown, but live here. Put simply: downtown South Bend is back. There is more where that came from, as we prepare to celebrate the opening of the Ivy at Berlin Place, begin a major office development at Jefferson and Main, and count numerous future projects underway or in planning —including a major expansion of our St. Joseph County Public Library. Mayor Buttigieg went on, And our economic development has not been confined to downtown. We recently celebrated the new Embassy Suites opening at Eddy Street Commons as the project's Phase 2 development moves completion. Our Northwest side has seen over $90 million in City - assisted development, bringing hundreds of jobs to new industry and logistics employers. Overall, across the City since I took office, we've partnered on over $850 million in project investments supporting over 4,000 new jobs, just including City -related economic development deals, and unemployment has fallen nearly seven percent (7%). But it's not enough to celebrate the top line numbers and the averages. Our City still has many low-income residents. Income inequality and wealth inequality persist. We know that African -American households earn half that of Caucasian households, and that black and Latino homeownership is below that of white residents. It's one (1) reason why we are investing in underserved parts of town like the West Side, where we have targeted resources on home repair, improved public facilities, enhanced our streetscapes, and recently opened the West Side Small Business Resource Center. We are working to support minority entrepreneurship as a purchaser, with leadership from our Office of Diversity and Inclusion. And with support from Accelerator for America, we are one (1) of the first cities in the country to generate a Community Prospectus for Opportunity Zones, working to steer new investment to lower -income areas of our City. We invest not just in places but in people. Now in its third (3'd) year, our Pathways Workforce Development program has supported hundreds of South Bend residents with career training and certifications, empowering them to thrive in a changing economy. We also recognize the role that organized labor can play in providing skills training and pathways to the middle class and were pleased to work with local labor organizations to develop a responsible bidder ordinance that ensures a fair playing field for all who compete for City business. Meanwhile, we are becoming ever more connected with the region and the world through assets like the South Bend International Airport. Mayor Buttigieg continued, As a mayor, and as a somewhat increasingly frequent user of the airport, I have been delighted to see its growth, including the qualification as an International airport and the increased routes and service. When an airline adds a route here, as most recently with the connections to Dallas and Charlotte, it is both a vote of confidence in the present economy and an engine of future growth. It's a good thing we have more hotel rooms in our City as well as more ways of getting here. The Carter Work Project in Mishawaka and South Bend brought thousands of people to this community, as did the sold -out Garth Brooks concert at Notre Dame Stadium and the NHL Winter classic. And more opportunities to showcase our City are ahead with rl