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South Bend Redevelopment Commission <br /> Regular Meeting—February 28, 2013 <br /> 6. NEW BUSINESS <br /> B. Airport Economic Development Area <br /> (6) continued... <br /> seating area for the surrounding community to gather, and hosts an annual La Salle Square <br /> Luau to celebrate the garden and those who benefit from its produce. <br /> Sara Stewart, whose first garden in 2008 has grown to 48 in 2012, gave an update on Unity <br /> Garden's impact, goals, and vision for the future. <br /> Ms. Stewart has been working with AEP to bring electricity to the site. She is actively <br /> fundraising to cover any costs not donated by AEP, and asks the Redevelopment <br /> Commission to consider a possible future funding request if so needed. <br /> In December 2011, the Redevelopment Commission and Unity Gardens entered into a <br /> Temporary Use and License Agreement (Agreement) for the La Salle Square garden. This <br /> Agreement is for a one year period, with renewable options for four successive twelve <br /> month periods (November I through October 31). <br /> Within the Agreement, the Commission is granted termination rights upon written <br /> notification. If termination occurs, the Redevelopment Commission agrees to pay Unity <br /> Gardens up to $10,000 to relocate up to three temporary structures. <br /> Because of Unity Garden's outreach and growth at this site, and to assist it to grow into the <br /> future, staff requests Redevelopment Commission's approval to amend the Agreement by <br /> extending it to 15 years, keeping in place its termination rights for development <br /> opportunities, and to increase the relocation payment up to $20,000, to accommodate the <br /> future growth of the garden. <br /> Ms. Stewart noted that without the vision and support of the Redevelopment Commission <br /> which has been involved for many years, this would not be possible. Unity Gardens has <br /> always been about growing food. There are 50 gardens scheduled for 2013. Thousands of <br /> people involved engaged in Unity Gardens. There are hundreds of harvesters every single <br /> day during peak season . We are growing a lot. The real growth has had nothing to do with <br /> the crops; it has to do with community connections, such as educational opportunities. We <br /> offer free classes year round for people to connect to healthy food to be eaten. Then there is <br /> social engagement; in days where people are connected virtually rather than literally, it's <br /> great to have tremendous gathering spots for people to connect to healthy food and to each <br /> other. The soul of Unity Gardens is at LaSalle Square. The traffic through there, and the <br /> stories people share, the benevolence is amazing. We rule a market area where we engage <br /> different families in having plots which is our education from indoors. We offer free raised <br /> beds, free seeds, use of the water, and tools. So they could learn, hands on, how to grow <br /> food for themselves year round. We grew a community that learned not only to develop <br /> connections amongst themselves and work together, but also shared with others by putting <br /> 9 <br />