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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSM 01-19-90January 19, 11:00 a.m. Presiding Of 1. 95_nw � Members Legal News Med FN #74 Z M Mr. Nimt continue 2. OLD BUSI a. Comm • :91 � '91� 91 •`'191 • I 1 • . Mr. F. Jay Nimtz President 1200 County -City Building 227 W. Jefferson Boulevard South Bend, Indiana 46601 esent: Mr. F. Jay Nimtz, President Ms. Paula N. Auburn, Vice President Mr. Roman J. Piasecki, Secretary Mr. Michael Donoho sent: Mr. Sandy Combs, Assistant Secretary sel: Ms. Jenny Pitts - Manier ant Staff: Mrs. Ann Kolata, Director Mrs. Cheryl Phipps, Office Manager Ms. Cleo Hickey, Economic Dev. Specialist Mr. Larry Koepfle, Economic Dev. Specialist Mr. 'Thom Howell, U -93 Mr. Dick Maginot, WSBT Mr. Howard Dukes, South Bend Tribune Mr. Carter Wolf, Center City Associates Mr. Thomas Forsey, Forsey Construction Ms. Kim Forsey Mr. James Benjamin, Plasterers & Cement Masons announced that the Executive Session held prior to the meeting would be i following adjourrment of the Regular Meeting. Mrs. Kolata explained that these plans, specifications and cost estimates are for the projects to be financed by the 1990 Leasa Purchase Bond. They are the final planr. and specifications which are ready -1- South Bend edevelopment Commission Special Mee ing - January 19, 1990 2. OLD BUSINESS (Cont.) to c o out for bid. The Redevelopment Au ority approved them on January 17th and approved an Agency Agreement with the of Public Works to have the Board of lublic Works perform construction supervision of the projects. The Cormission needs to approve the plans and specifications for these improvements which they will be leasing from the Redevelopment Authority. After Ca mission approval of the plans and specifications, the Board of Public Works will approve the Agency Agreement at its January 22nd meeting and put the projects out for bid. Receipt of bids is scheduled for February 26th, after which we vill size the bond and make any charges necessary to the planned impyovements in order to keep the Lease Payment at or under $749,000. Mr. Piasecki asked Mrs. Kolata to explain the scope of public improvements included in the plans. Mrs. Kolata outlined the projects as follows: 1.) Niles Avenue improvements include curb and sidewalk work, street trees, and street lights from just north of LaSalle Street to Washington Street, and re -doing of a parRing lot just north of the Emporium parRing lot; 2.) Washington Street inpzovements include curb and sidewalk work, street trees, street lights, repair of the brick street, and institution of perpendicular parking along Washington Street from Niles Avenue to Bill Street; 3.) Madison Street improvements (between Niles Avenue and the East Race) will be the same as the improvements to Washington Street; 4.) Rink Riverside Walkway improvements will add i walkway at ground level behind Rink Rive --side Printing which will connect the pres mt walkway which ends behind the d is office to the walkway at Colfax Str t; 5.) Howard Park Wall improvements incl de removal of the present Howard -2- South Bend redevelopment Commission Special Mee ing - January 19, 1990 2. OLD BUSINESS (Cont.) a. conulnuea... Par Wall and the construction of a new wall (three different designs will be go' out for bid and one will be chosen after all construction bids are in); 6.) Vie ing Park improvements will include the repair of the walkway and old WPA wall along the river from Howard Park to SanTle Street, and new lighting and trimming of brush along the walkway, repair of the amphitheater, and paving of the parking lot and driveway dawn from Northside Boulevard; 6.) Miscellaneous Curt and Sidewalk improvements in the dowtown, primarily targeting properties that are making investments in the downtown; 7.) Morris Civic Park improvements are the redesign of the park to make it more open and accessible to the public, fountain repair, moving of the Violin Woman sculpture, lowering the height of the brick walls in the park, and the return of some sculptures from stox age to the park; 8.) West Bank Lighting improvements will upgrade and repair the lighting on the west side of the river from LaSalle Street to Karl Kina Towers. Upor a motion by Mr. Piasecki, seconded by Ivr. Doncho, the Commission adopted Resclution No. 906 accepting final plans and specifications and cost estimates for certain land and public improvements and autlorizing the Board of Public Works to mod'fy those plans and specifications consistent with the overall scope and p se of the project. Mr. day Comm that of a city of d that the N mtz remarked that this is a great in the history of South Bend. The ission and Project Future have found developers look at the environment city's downtown to see how well a takes care of its downtown as part etermining the quality of life in city. These improvements will make iowntown and East Bank a showplace -3- COMMISSION ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 906 ACCEPTING FINAL PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS AND COST ESTIMATES FOR CERTAIN LAND AND PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND AUTHORIZING THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS TO MODIFY THOSE PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS CONSISTENT WITH THE OVERALL SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THE PRQ7ECT South Bend edevelopment Comnission Special Mee ing - January 19, 1990 2. OLD BUSINESS (Cont.) 0 a. conuinuea... for the city. He reiterated Mrs. Kol ta's note that the Commission believes in doing first class work and will eliminate one of the projects from the planned improvements, if necessary, ratter than skimp on the quality of all. We t the City and its citizens to be Droud of what we do. Mrs. Kolata pointed out that when these projects are complete, we will have created approximately 400 parking spaces for public use on Niles Avenue, Washington Street and Madison Street. Tha is the equivalent of a parking garage at considerably less cost. Mrs. Kolata also noted that according to the schedule we are on, construction of th e projects will begin approximately ADr'1 1st. Mrs. Ko ata reported that the second East Bank off ice building will have a ground breakinc sometime the week of January 22nd. Mrs. Ko ata reported that she has received a letter, dated January 17, 1990, from Kevork M. Derderian of Continental Offices, Ltd., the own /operator of a number of office buildings in the Chicago area. They have recently been in the South Bend area for another project and have become interested in the lots on Washington Street between Michigan and St. Joseph Street. They would like to propose a two -phase project of Class A+ office building consisting of two 110,000 square foot towers with a connecting one or two-story building that would serve as a common lobby and hold the building's amenity package. The floor size would be approximately 16,000 rentable square feet, which would fit well with the average size of tenants in South Bend. The interior finishes would be in keeping with the best building -4- DISCUSSION OF PROPOSAL FROM CONTINENTAL OFFICES FOR PARCELS C4 -3 AND C4 -30 South Bend development Commission Special Meeting - January 19, 1990 exist' in South Bend at present. The exterioi finish has not yet been chosen, but would be similar in quality to their existing project--, of which we have pictures. Their intention is to develop an office building of excepticInal value that will fit in with South Bend's jectives and be financially viable. Mrs. Ko ata noted that Continental Offices' primary downtown Chicago office is One Financial Place, housing the Midwest Stock Exchange which is connected by skywalks to the Board of Trade and the Chicago Comnodi ies Option Building. Mrs. Kolata and Ms. Hic ey have visited One Financial Place and fourd it to be of extremely high quality. Continertal Offices, Ltd. has submitted a proposal with a site plan which has been prepared this week. The two phase project would have the building along Michigan Street built first and the one along St. Joseph Street built when market conditions would allow, probably within two years. They would be willing to do the project totally on spec and would like a 60 day period of exclusive negotiations to formalize everything. They intend to be under construction by June or July 1990. They have also indicated that if they should determine during the 60 day negotiating period that the project is not feasible, they would let us know inmiediately and not the entire 60 day period. Mrs. Kol ita noted that the staff has been extremel r impressed with the amount of time this dev aoper has spent on this proposal in this sh period. They have made some initial mntacts on financing and have talked to local office brokers about what the market is and have some ideas on possible tenants in the Chicago area. Mrs. Rol ata circulated a brochure showing projects completed by Continental Offices. Mr. parcels asked the staff to contact the urs who were interested in the the time the Comdssion began 96Z South Bend edevelcpment Commission Special Mee ing - January 19, 1990 exclusi a negotiations with the hotel developer in order to see if they are still interested. The staff should report back to the ConmLission on those contacts at the next Commission meeting on January 26th. He asked if they i was any objection from the Commissoners to that request. Mrs. Auhurn responded that she had no objecticn to the process, but thought that the Comnission would want to seriously considez, continuing negotiations with a Chicago developer who is on such a fast track. Mr. Doncho asked the staff to notify the developer that the Commission would make a decisior on a 60 day period of exclusive negotiation at their next Commission meeting on January 26th. Ms. Auburn asked if the developer has looked thorouglly at the South Bend market to determine if the rent structure here is feasible for them. Mrs. Kolata responded that it appears that they have done their hcmewor on that, but we will discuss that with thdu. Mr. Nimtz asked if there was any objection to asking the staff to contact the other interested developers and to notifying Continental Offices, Ltd. that the Commission will make a decision on the 60 day period of exclusi negotiations at the January 26th meeting. There was no objection and the staff so directed. Mrs. Kol to reported that the Local Tax Control Board hearing on the 1990 TIF Lease Purchase bond is scheduled for January 26th at 10:00 a.m. Mr. Jim trades, plaster in the c njamin, representing the building d Mr. Tom Forsey of Forsey on, addressed the Commission the quality of the synthetic stem, Dryvit, as an exterior finish ntown. Mr. Forsey asked the M LOCAL TAX CONTROL BOARD HEARING ON 1990 TIF LEASE PURCHASE BOND SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 26, 1990 DISCUSSION ON DRYVIT WITH TOM FORSEY AND JIM BENJAMIN South Bend Special Me 3. elcpment Comanission - January 19, 1990 (Cont.) Comniss'on to state its objection to the system. Mr. Nimtz responded that there have been questions raised about the long term durability of the material in this climate. Mrs. Ko ata noted that the Commission's comments about Dryvit were directed particularly toward the proposed use before the CcnmLission at the time and that it was not an appropriate material for two reasons: 1) the location across from Century Center and the Marriott Hotel and the architecture of the proposed hotel as well as the use of Dryvit, and 2) the long term durability of the system. Its use has come before the Design Review Committee for several projects over th last couple of years and has been approved, but we did not feel it was appropriate for this particular hotel. Also, because the issue has been coming up more frequently, we asked the Design Review Committee to come up with some guidelines on its use. The staff recommendation to the Design Review Committee was that they rule the material inappropriate for use in new construct ion. The Design Review Ca mittee decided that they wanted to review it on a case by case basis and would not prohibit it. Mrs. Kolata also noted, in response to Mr. Forsey's question about what the Commission's objecticns were to the material, that as a ground level material, would it withstand the abuse it might receive. Mrs. Kol to invited Mr. Forsey to make a presentation to the Commission regarding the synthetci plaster system. Mr. ForsBy noted that the material was developel in Germany thirty years ago and has a thirty year track record in a climate similar to ours. Mr. Forsey has been using Dryvit f Dir twenty years in this area. It is a strong material and more durable than brick in many respects. It is lighter weight, more cost efficient, and more energy efficient than brick. Because of its lower cost and South Bend edevelopment Cc mission Special Mes ing - January 19, 1990 enemy ficiency, it will be the building material of the future. The plaster system can be applied to mesh covered board in various thicknesses. The system Tvith 1/4 inch plaster surface will sustain a 50 lb per square inch beating without cracking and should be used at ground level. Thinner applications can be used more cost of iciently on upper levels and is more flexiblo under stress. The material has passed 1 tests administered to it, such as wind lood, impact load, tornadoes, fire, etc. Mr. Fors. ey also noted that the material can be ins led very rapidly and cuts the construction time of building considerably. There az a no design limitations with its use as there are with many other materials. Mrs. Kolata accepted Mr. Forsey's conclusions that the material is acceptable according to building code. However, she noted that the design issue remains and the material is not appropriate in every instance. Mr. Forsey noted that Dryvit is available in different finishes, including one that looks exactly like marble. Mrs. Kolata asked Mr. Forsey to provide the Commission with samples of some of the other finishes. Mr. Nimt z complimented Mr. Forsey for the nice jok he is doing on the Main Street Row Building, noting both the significant progress being made and the amount of money being invested. Mr. Forsey thanked Mr. Nimtz for his conmients and noted that the end of the building that has been covered and being worked cn will be unveiled next week. Mrs. Kolata stated again that the Commission had wanted to make the point that the material was inappropriate for that particular project at that location, not that it was inappropriate for everything. Mr. Don o noted that the use of Dryvit on the hoteA project was not the only issue the South Bend Redevelopnent Commission Special Meeting - January 19, 1990 3. PROGRESS REPORTS (Cont.) Corrmiss on had with the hotel project. That issue been blown out of proportion. 4. NEXT CCD94ISSION MEETING The nee Regular Meeting of the Ca mnission is NEXT COMMISSION MEETING schedulEd for Friday, January 26, 1990, at 10:00 a.m. 5. There bEing no further business to come ADJOURNMENT before the Commission, Ms. Auburn made a motion that the meeting be adjourned. Mr. Donoho seconded the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m. r Paula N. Auburn, Vice President Ann E. Kolata, Director -9-