10-20-08 New specialist will promote South Bend neighborhoods

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Reports suggest rising gas prices, environmental concerns about suburban sprawl and a growing percentage of childless households point to a growing migration back to U.S. cities, particularly as baby boomers reach retirement age. “It’s happening all over the United States. Wealthy people are moving to center cities. We want to capture some of that growth so that wealth will spread to the collar neighborhoods,” Solmos said. “Some of them are going to be coming from urban neighborhoods, and they’re going to want to be in urban neighborhoods.” Solmos was president of Indianapolis’ Near Eastside Community Organization between th 1998 and 2000, when she became founder and president of the East 10 Street Civic Association, serving between 1998 and 2007. In that capacity, she hired and supervised the executive director and volunteers for the organization, which created one of the first two official “Urban Main Street” sites in Indiana. She worked with community and business leaders as well as economic development professionals and city officials to implement a five-year strategic work plan. The Local Initiatives Support Corp. gave national recognition to the association’s efforts for having one of the most successful not- for-profit commercial corridors in the nation. Former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson appointed Solmos to the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, which she served from 2000 through 2007. She also served in 2007 as co-chair of the Marion County Comprehensive Plan’s Neighborhoods and Housing Committee. As a real-estate agent, Solmos worked with Sycamore Group Realtors, ReMax Realty Mart and Century 21 Realty Group One over a 15-year period. She was among the top 25 percent of all Indianapolis Realtors in sales volume with a career high for annual sales of $8.5 million. Solmos specialized in creating strategic marketing plans for “hard-to-sell” properties and managed a team of two full-time and five part-time staff. “I’ve been doing this for free for 15 years in some of Indianapolis’ toughest neighborhoods while running a strong real-estate business on the side,” said Solmos, who is optimistic about South Bend’s prospects. “I love your diversity. I’m so impressed with your housing stock and so impressed with the neighborhoods. … It’s like Broad Ripple – only not as expensive.” Solmos has received several honors, including a Sagamore of the Wabash in 2000 for significant community volunteer work. In addition, she received the Indianapolis Distinguished Citizen Award in 2001, the Volunteer of the Year award in 2004 from the J.H. Boner Community Center and was a two-time Centurion Producer award-winner (the national award for Century 21’s top agents). She also served on the economic development committee for Indianapolis’ Weed and Seed efforts, funded through the U.S. Justice Department, as well as a president of the Little Flower Neighborhood Association and committee member of the Old National Road Business Association. Solmos, who grew up in North Liberty, recently began leasing a home in South Bend as she begins looking for a permanent home of her own. “I’ve just fallen in love with this city,” she said. “It really is a great city.” - 30 -