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SpUTH 6 Community & Economic Development 1865 1200 County -City Building, 227 West Jefferson, South Bend, Indiana 46601 -1830 ♦ Phone 574/235 -9371 ♦ Fax 574/235 -9021 To: Historic Preservation Commission From: Andy Laurent Subject: Former Oliver Chilled Plow Works #2 Forge Shop Date: April 15, 2004 The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) Executive Committee expressed its desire for more background information regarding the interest of the Hart-Parr /Oliver Collectors Association's (HPOCA) interest in reusing the former Oliver Chilled Plow Works #2 Forge Shop. I volunteered to obtain the relevant information regarding the efforts made over the past two years by the City to feasibly reuse the structure. The City conducted a public meeting in October, 2000 at St. Casimir Catholic Church to address concerns that had been expressed to the Mayor's Office regarding the recently announced t Studebaker /Oliver Plow Works Redevelopment Strategy. Mayor Stephen Luecke, Councilman Andy Ujdack, Urban Enterprise Association Coordinator Jeanine Muir, and Economic Development Specialist Andy Laurent made presentations at the meeting. During the question and answer portion of the meeting, the residents in attendance expressed support for the City's plan to demolish the abandoned Oliver buildings adjacent to their residential properties. The primary concern voiced by those residents (most of whom resided near the corner of Arnold and Grace Streets) was over possible residential property acquisition by the City. Andy Laurent expressed the City's plan not to acquire residential property in the St. Casimir Neighborhood. The Redevelopment Commission purchased the former Oliver Plow Works property in March, 2002 from the bankruptcy of Allied Products Corporation. At that time, the City conducted a HUD Section 106 Environmental Review of the proposed demolition of the 39 factory buildings and determined that the #2 Forge Shop (Buildings 46 and 47) could not be demolished due to their inclusion in the St. Casimir Parish Historic District. The City agreed not to demolish the structures as part of the 106 review process and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) then agreed to approve the remainder of the demolition. The City has conducted environmental assessment activities in and around the Oliver site, and have determined that a source area of perchloroethylene (PCE) is located in the direct vicinity of the #2 Forge Shop and is impacting ground water. The City is continuing to conduct investigation of this environmental condition and has submitted a grant application to the United States Environmental H \Studebaker- pliver\pliver Plow Works\HPC Forge 2 memo_wpd What We Do Today Makes A Difference!