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CITY OF SOUTH BEND REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING – January 22, 2026 <br /> <br />Page | 3 <br /> <br />All bids must follow the requirements in the disposition packet, which <br />will be available online and in physical form at City Hall. If we receive any <br />bids, we will open them publicly at the February 12th RDC meeting and <br />review them for compliance. If we receive no bids, state law requires a <br />30-day waiting period. After those 30 days, we may begin negotiations, <br />and at that point the minimum bid price is no longer fixed at $71,325. <br />This allows flexibility in negotiating the purchase price and terms. <br /> <br />Tina Patton stated that she noticed in the notes that there has been <br />interest in redeveloping this property. Her question is: does that interest <br />involve a bar, a gas station, or any other use that wouldn’t be considered <br />family-friendly? Joseph Molnar, Assistant Director of Growth and <br />Opportunity, explained that the interest we’ve received so far has not <br />involved any of those types of uses. However, one of the reasons we’re <br />moving this property through the formal disposition process is that we <br />cannot discuss or negotiate with anyone until that process is complete. <br />This resolution is the first step. Ultimately, the Commission has full <br />authority over whether to sell the property, and any interested party <br />would be required to clearly state their intended use up front. <br />If someone proposed a gas station or liquor store, staff would be unlikely <br />to recommend that use. But final approval rests with the Redevelopment <br />Commission. <br /> <br />Upon a motion by David Relos for approval, seconded by Ophelia <br />Gooden-Rodgers, the motion carried unanimously; the Commission <br />approved Resolution No. 3663 as presented on January 22, 2026. <br /> <br />2. Purchase Agreement for 534 Laporte Ave. (Widerquist Development, <br />LLC) <br />Erin Michaels, Property Development Manager, explained that this <br />property went through disposition a few months ago. It is a small former <br />service station on LaPorte Ave., just north of City Cemetery. The parcel <br />is approximately 0.11 acres and includes a 250-square-foot structure. It <br />is zoned Urban Neighborhood Flex. The Board of Public Works acquired <br />the former pump station in 2017, removed the underground tanks, and <br />transferred it to the RDC in 2023 to support potential redevelopment. <br /> <br />Widerquist Development is a local developer with more than 30 <br />renovated properties in South Bend, many of them located just down the <br />street from this site. The photos illustrate the before-and-after <br />improvements they have completed on other buildings in the area, <br />highlighting their work on both exterior and interior upgrades. <br /> <br />Purchase Agreement – Key Terms <br />• Purchase Price: $2,000