Authorizing the Mayor to Submit an Application for a Grant - 821 Portage Avenue

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1200 COUNTY-CITY BUILDING 227 W. JEFFERSON BOULEVARD SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 46601-1830 PHONE 574/ 235-9371 Fax 5741235-9021 TDD 574/ 235-5567 CITY OF SOUTH BEND STEPHEN J. LUECKE, MAYOR COMMUNITY ~L ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHARON T. KENDALL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR January 31, 2007 To Whom It May Concern: The Department of Community and Economic Development (CED) is requesting the adoption of the following resolution which gives authority for the CED to apply for farads from the Petroleum Remediation Grant Incentive (PGRI) program, which is administered by the Indiana Development Finance Authority. These funds would be used to remove underground storage tanks and associated remediation for the property located at 821 Portage Avenue. The PGRI guidelines require that a political subdivision apply far the grant. However, eligible projects include those done in partnership with the private property owner. In 2004, the current owner of this property was selected to participate in the City of South Bend's USTFields Pilot Grant Progranl and began going through a process to have the tanks removed, which included having a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment completed. This property was selected to participate in the pilot grant program after citizen participation steering committees were asked to identify sites which were thought to have potential but would not likely be redeveloped due to the perception of the presence of contamination. From the list of twenty-five identified properties, CED selected four properties to participate in the program based on redevelopment potential, potential responsible party status.. ownership and willingness of owners to participate. The property was placed third in line for removal of tanks and the two higher priority locations ultimately utilized all the available fiends. As such, the tanks at 821 Portage Ave. were never removed. The property owner is still interested iIl removing the tanks from this location in hopes of redeveloping the site. By pursuing this grant to remediate private property, the City would be acting in public interest. This site was identified by the public as a key property on Portage Ave. which might not be developed due to the perception to contamination. Also, CED has recognized the redevelopment potential of the site resulting in its selection to participate in the pilot grant program: According to the completed Phase I Assessment, this fornler gas station went out of business in 1984, remaining vacant ever since, except for in 2000 when a commercial COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL & PROGRAM PAMELA C. MEYEA DONALD E. INKS MANAGEMENT ~ QI 574/235-9660 5741235-9371 ELIZABETH LEONARD 4 FAx: 574/235-9697 574!235-9371 ~~