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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-13-2011 Plan will refresh medical campus, downtown gateway 04 SOUTH � O U d W PEACE a 1865 Office of the Mayor NEWS RELEASE December 13,2011 5 p.m. Plan will refresh medical campus, downtown gateway Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications& Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564 or Don Inks, Director of Economic Development, 235-9371 A plan adopted by the South Bend Redevelopment Commission will widen and enhance Bartlett Street to create a new entrance to Memorial Hospital, add parking lots and create a new cohesive look along the east side of Michigan Street. The Redevelopment Commission today approved a four-year, $10.44-million plan to enhance the City's medical district using Tax Increment Financing revenue paid by the growth taxes paid by the medical businesses themselves. The plan also formally withdraws an earlier proposal to reconfigure the Michigan/Main street"S curve." "These changes will dramatically enhance this important gateway into downtown South Bend, giving the Memorial campus a more cohesive look and improving the Medical Mile image," said David Relos, economic development planner with the City of South Bend's Department of Community and Economic Development. The City already has made some improvements in the medical district, including installing a new fagade on the Bartlett Street parking garage, adding additional turn lanes along Michigan Street to improve traffic flow, installing new curbs and sidewalks, and adding two pervious pavement parking lots, which allow for improved storm-water runoff. The new projects include: • New facades along Michigan Street for the E. Blair Warner building,the Skyway Bridge, the Skyway Building, Mar Main Pharmacy and the former NIPSCO building. • New parking lots lining both sides of the 400 block of North Michigan Street. • The widening and enhancement of Bartlett Street between Michigan and Main streets, leading to Memorial's main entrance, with reconfigured parking lots to the north. With TIF funding through the Redevelopment Commission,the City's Board of Public Works manages the improvements, hiring private contractors to perform the work. Funds for TIF investments accrue over a period of years from property taxes generated within that district. The growth in taxes resulting from new economic development is used for reinvestment in further redevelopment efforts. "The infrastructure improvements around Memorial and the surrounding medical TIF district support easy, convenient and inviting access for the patients and visitors to the hospital and other surrounding medical facilities," Jeff Costello, Memorial's chief financial officer, told South Bend ON,the City's e-mail newsletter. "The physical appearance of our facilities and the neighboring areas also plays an important part in our ability to recruit and retain the best medical providers from around the country. Professional, attractive facilities—combined with world-class healthcare providers -- contribute to the high quality of care we provide." "People probably don't realize that Memorial gets 2,000 to 3,000 daily visitors that visit the campus. So when road projects or new paving projects happen, that helps the entire city and its traffic flow initiatives,"Memorial CEO Phil Newbold told South Bend ON. "Not many people realize that Memorial Hospital is located in what is called the medical TIF. So many of our projects have been greatly supported by the utilization of TIF funds. Another little known fact is that Memorial Hospital does pay some property taxes on all the land it owns. We believe it is not only important for us to do so, but if we want to see this community grow, our tax dollars helps the redistribution of funds, and helps support other key infrastructure projects that will help this hospital and community grow. TIF, as it relates to the hospital and city, has helped job creation, property tax revenues, infrastructure improvements and physician growth. Our hospital area can be a talent recruitment tool."