Designating the South Bend Central Development Area to be Blighted for Purposes of Compliance with Tax Reform Act 1986

Home Browse Search

EXHIBIT A South Bend Common Council Resolution No. South Bend Central Development Area Findings of Fact May 26, 1987 In 1985, the South Bend Redevelopment Commission declared the South Bend Central Development Area to be blighted and on June 14, 1985, conducted a public hearing and adopted its Findings of Fact based on evidence of blight presented at that time. These findings have subsequently been affirmed on three other occasions. In order to comply with the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the redevelopment staff has re-examined that evidence of blight and has presented that evidence to the South Bend Common Council on May 26, 1987. The South Bend Common Council has found that the South Bend Central Development Area which has previously been found by the Redevelopment Commission to be blighted, continues to be blighted to an extent that cannot be corrected by regulatory precesses or by the ordinary operation of private enterprise without resort to the Indiana Redevelopment Law IC 36-7-14-1, et. seq. Blight is found in the area based on the following facts: A. In the sub-area known as the Central Business District: 1. Twenty-seven percent (27% ) of the land is currently vacant. (This does not include land used for streets & alleys but does include land used for paid surface parking) . 2. An additional six percent (6%) of the land has buildings on it that are currently vacant. 3. There is currently 809,350 square feet of Class A office space with a vacancy rate of five percent (5%) , 631,800 square feet of Class B office space with a vacancy rate of twenty-one percent (21% ) , and 176,000 square feet of Class C office space with a vacancy rate of fifty-nine percent (50%) . This is an overall office vacancy rate of seventeen percent (17% ) . 4. There are 80 retail establishments in the "Goods & Services" category which occupy 366,034 square feet. There are 24 retail establishments in the "Eating/Drinking" category which occupy 80,936 square feet. The total number of retail establishments (all categories) is 104. The total building space occupied by retail establishments (all categories) is 446,970 square feet. Of the total 755,470 square feet of available retail building space, forty-one percent (41%) is vacant. B. In the sub-area known as the East Bank: 1. Twenty-six percent (26%) of the land that is not devoted to public right-of-way or to public park is vacant and an additional nine percent (9% ) is underutilized. This means that thirty-five percent (35%) of the land is vacant or underutilized. 2. Of the eighty-four (84 ) commercial or industrial structures, ten (10) are vacant and twelve (12) are underutilized. This means that twenty-six percent (26%) of the commercial or industrial structures are vacant or underutilized. 3. Of the eight-four (84) commercial or industrial structures, approximately sixty-three percent (63% ) require cosmetic and/or structural repairs.