09-28-15 Agenda, Packet & Committee Meeting Notice

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GENERAL AREA INFORMATION The City of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana. It is located approximately six miles from the Indiana/Michigan state line, and midway between Chicago and the Ohio State line. It is a transportation hub served by five railroads, major truck lines, and several airlines. The area is served by the Indiana Toll Road (I 80/90) with close proximity to 1-94. U.S. 31/33 is the major north/south connector. The climate in South Bend is moderate. The average altitude is 773 feet above sea level.The mean annual temperature is 50 degrees, and the precipitation is approximately 40 inches. The area enjoys an ample supply of good water. The eight-county retail trade area has a population of 642,000 with St. Joseph County indicating a population of 247,052, and the City of South Bend having a population of 105,511. The City, like most cities, is static in growth, with most new housing being constructed in the suburbs, thus increasing the county growth rate at a more rapid pace. The S.M.S.A. ranks this area in the United States as142"d out of 405 in Metropolitan Areas, 81'in } Households, 80th in Retail Sales, and 76th in Net Effective Buying Income. The Net Effective Buying income is 32,605 per household and $13,072 per capita. There is a total of 43,100 households in the community,of which approximately 70%are owner-occupied.There has been very limited construction of homes in the moderate price class,and most building which has taken place in St. Joseph County has been } more expensive homes. Most of the construction has taken place in the Knollwood,Quail Ridge and Harris Township areas in the extreme northern end of the county. • Of the general workforce, manufacturing comprises 29% of all employment in the county, with a total of 27,277 persons working in 404 manufacturing firms. Non-manufacturing establishments employ 71% of all employment in the county. There are 67,593 persons employed in 4,280 non-manufacturing establishments. Of these,trade groups with 24,296 employees working for 1,859 firms is the largest of the non-manufacturing industries. Service establishments have been one of the fastest growing non-manufacturing areas in the workforce and comprise 35% of the non-manufacturing workforce. State and local governments account for 15% of the county's non-manufacturing employment. Transportation, communications and utilities account for a total of 4,238 workers employed in 142 firms. Construction has always been an important employment area and accounts for 5% of the county's non-manufacturing employment, with a total of 3,631 employees working for 177 general contractors and 337 subcontractors. The old manufacturing base of the county has eroded somewhat over the last 25 years,and some of the longtime industries have either gone out of business or have moved to the south.However, some newer industries, such as I/N Tek and I/N Kote,located west of South Bend and just east of New Carlisle on U.S. 20 have had a substantial impact upon the industrial development and growth in the area. Some larger companies in the area include Allied Signal, Ameritech,Nyloncraft, Trans Tech Electric, and the Ethanol Plant. 40 1 i