HomeMy WebLinkAboutRM 12-17-93SOUTH BEND REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
October 1, 1993
10:00 a.m.
Presiding: Paula N. Auburn
President
I. ROLL CALL
1308 County -City Building
227 W. Jefferson Boulevard
South Bend, Indiana
Members Present: Ms. Paula N. Auburn, President
Mr. Roman J. Piasecki, Vice - President
Mr. Michael Donoho
Members Absent: Mr. Theo F. Sharp, Secretary
Mr. Philip Faccenda
Legal Counsel: Ms. Jenny Pitts Manier
Redevelopment Staff: Mrs. Ann Kolata, Director
Mrs. Cheryl Phipps, Recording Secretary
Mr. Jon Hunt, Executive Director
Mr. Tom Eddington, Economic Dev. Specialist
Mr. Gabriel Okafor, Economic Dev. Specialist
Mr. James Riggs, Economic Dev. Specialist
Ms. Hedy Robinson, Economic Dev. Specialist
Ms. Pam Matchett, Intern
Media: Mr. Thom Howell, U -93
Mr. Don Porter, South Bend Tribune
Ms. Diane Daniels, WSJV -TV
Others: Mr. Steve Ellison, Coldwell Banker Anchor
Ms. Sheral Litell, Holladay Corporation
Ms. Karen High
Ms. Mylinda Jones
Ms. Katie Jones
Ms. Alberta Brown
Mr. Willie T. Brown
Mr. S. E. Price
Mr. Emanuel Jennings
Ms. Beatrice Jenkins
Ms. Dorothy Taylor
Ms. Paulette Murphy
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
1. ROLL CALL (Cont.)
Others continued... Ms. Joceln Polack
Ms. Justine Polack
Mr. Frank Polack
Mr. O. C. Peterson
Ms. Barbara Ruffin
Mr. Reginald Ruffin
Ms. Inez Bracey
Ms. Leslie Bracey
Mr. Lee W. Thomas
Ms. Shirley M. Thomas
Ms. Jo Blacketor
Ms. Tina Deka
Ms. Jacinta Wielgos
Ms. Myrtle Doaks
Ms. Juanita Donaldson
Ms. Margaret Oliver
Ms. Vera Humphrey
Ms. Betty Trotter
Ms. Ethel Nyikos
Mr. Henry Balanow
Mr. Ed Balanow
Ms. Elech McKilry
Ms. Clarice Blue
Mr. J. W. Rogers
Ms. Leslie King
Ms. Claudia Burks
Mr. John Wigfall
Mr. Willis West
Mr. Joe Fennessee
Mr. William Jenkins
Ms. Betty Tidwell
M. Middleton
Mr. Willie Hall
Ms. Donella Marsh
Mr. Y. C. Magee
Mr. Eugene Kyle
Ms. Mabel Hall
Mr. F. Bueno
Mr. Pete Mattheos
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
1. ROLL CALL (Cont.)
Others continued...
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Ms. Amanda Griffin
Ms. Marie Ruiz
Ms. Katie Banks
a. Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting
of Friday, September 17, 1993.
Upon a motion by Mr. Piasecki, seconded COMMISSION APPROVED THE MINUTES OF
by Mr. Donoho and unanimously carried, THE REGULAR MEETING OF FRIDAY,
the Commission approved the Minutes of the SEPTEMBER 17, 1993
Regular Meeting of Friday, September 17,
1993.
3. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS
Claims submitted October 1, 1993 for approval:
ADMIN 1993
James Riggs
$ 68.54
Corporate Staffing Resources
1,005.75
Federal Express
36.00
Tri County News
194.72
St. Joseph County Auditor
45.00
NBD Skokie Bank
8.92
TOTAL
$ 1,358.93
S.B.C.D.A. TIF - GENERAL ACCOUNT (420)
Indiana Bell
$
51.92
Quantech Research Associates
2,500.00
TOTAL
$
2,551.92
BOND ANTICIPATION NOTE (437)
Donna Lawrence Productions
$
13,497.00
TOTAL
$
13,497.00
992
3. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS (Cont.)
SAMPLE -EWING DEVELOPMENT AREA (414
York Title & Escrow, Inc. $ 540.00
J. A. Wagner 28,125.00
UDAG Reimbursement 22,425.00
McCloskey -Pitts Associates, Inc. 12,000.00
Huma Appraisals 3,200.00
TOTAL $ 66,290.00
GRAND TOTAL $ 83,697.85
Upon a motion by Mr. Donoho, seconded by Mr. COMMISSION APPROVED THE CLAIMS
Piasecki and unanimously carried, the SUBMITTED OCTOBER 1, 1993
Commission approved the Claims submitted
October 1, 1993.
4. COMMUNICATIONS
Mrs. Kolata noted that one Communication was COMMUNICATIONS
received which is a written remonstrance to
Resolution No. 1193. A copy is attached to these
minutes.
5. OLD BUSINESS
There was no Old Business. THERE WAS NO OLD BUSINESS
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Public Hearing on Resolution No. 1193
amending the Development Plan for the
Sample -Ewing Development Area.
Mrs. Kolata asked that the following items
be entered in the official record of the
meeting: 1) An original of the "Notice of
Hearing on Amendment to the Sample
Ewing Development Plan; " 2) An affidavit
of Carol Smith, Advertising Manager of the
South Bend Tribune, that the Notice of
Hearing was published in that daily
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Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
newspaper on September 17, 1993; 3) An
affidavit of Lisa J. Andrysiak, Classified
Manager of the Tri- County News, that the
Notice of Hearing was published in that
weekly newspaper on September 17, 1993;
4) A memo from Gabriel Okafor stating that
on September 20, 1993 he sent a copy of the
Notice of Hearing to the affected property
owners and registered neighborhood
associations and neighborhood leaders; 5) A
copy of Resolution No. 1193 which is the
subject of the public hearing; 6) As of 10:00
a.m. on October 1, 1993, 1 written
remonstrances was received.
Ms. Auburn asked if there was any objection
to these items being entered in the official
record. There was no objection and the
items were so entered.
Mrs. Kolata explained that Resolution No.
1193 amends the Sample -Ewing
Development Area Development Plan by
adding properties to the acquisition list. The
properties to be added are in an area roughly
bounded by Michigan Street, Fellows Street,
the alley between Broadway and
Pennsylvania streets, and Ohio Street, jutting
up to Sample Street at a few places. The
Commission intends to acquire the properties
in this area. There will be a later resolution
setting the prices for the properties and
authorizing the Commission to send
purchase offers. Resolution No. 1193 does
not set the purchase price nor authorize the
sending of purchase offers.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
We hope to be ready to set prices and send
some of the purchase offers in about thirty
days. The appraisers are writing the
appraisals now. The staff must then review
the appraisals before setting prices.
Ms. Auburn opened the Public Hearing on
Resolution No. 1193 for anyone who wished
to speak.
DOROTHY TAYLOR: 819 S. Kosciuszko
Street. The property that I now own at 202
E. Ohio Street was owned by my brother,
but he died last year. I was wondering
whether you were aware of what had
happened four years ago. My brother and
some of his other neighbors received a letter
from Hallmark Realty. In that letter they
stated that they were commissioned to buy
up all this property in this general area, so
that a mall could be built by a developer
from Indianapolis. So the man came and
approached each of those people and my
brother was offered $27,600 for the
property. Of course, he was all for it. He
thought, fine, that's a nice amount. So he
purchased another home. He moved. In the
meantime he's waiting to get paid for his
house on Ohio Street. He signed an
agreement with this man from Hallmark
Realty. But he never got the money. He
died last year waiting to be paid. In the
meantime, the house was being broken into,
so he finally had to have it tom down. So, I
was wondering whether you had heard about
this.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
MRS. KOLATA: I don't know the specifics of
that particular case. I was aware of the
developer that said he was working to go out
and option land. I never heard that there
were actual agreements or that they weren't
followed through on. That's a real
unfortunate situation. We can certainly talk
about it. As the property is now, it's a
vacant lot?
MS. TAYLOR: It's a vacant lot.
MRS. KOLATA: What that means is that it
will be appraised as a vacant lot and if we
were to send a purchase offer, it would be a
purchase offer for a vacant lot which would
be significantly less in value than what was
offered for it by the private developer.
MR. HUNT: We were contacted many years
ago on this. It was going to be a pure
private development. They had talked to us
about any kind of rezoning potential and
market information and that kind of thing.
As I understand it, it didn't move forward
because the developer couldn't get financing.
The reason they couldn't get financing was
that they couldn't get tenants to sign up for
that retail development in that area, in terms
of the market conditions and the surrounding
area. Without tenants signing on the dotted
line, financing couldn't come through and
everything fell apart. The only thing they
had asked us to consider at the time was: as
we planned for the general area, to help plan
and include that in the area, a retail mall.
They had heard at that time that we were
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
discussing redevelopment potential and
wanted to make sure the pieces all fit
together. They had not asked us for
anything other than that. I'm sure they
would have come back in under the city
ordinance and asked for tax abatement, as a
developer would. That's as much as we
know about it. We were not part of that
process. It was supposed to be a pure,
private transaction.
JAMES MASTERS: I'm here on behalf of
Frank and Tina Polack who are sitting right
in front of you, there. Just want to confirm
that you got our written remonstrance.
MRS. KOLATA: It's right here.
MR. MASTERS: I think the remonstrance
speaks for itself, but did want to confirm
that they object to their property being
included in the district. Their property at
1010 S. Michigan Street is their home. It's
a business office. It's not blighted. It's
very well kept up. Frankly, it's hard to
determine how this Commission can decide
that that property is blighted or that it is
needed to acquire that property for any
public purpose. Frank, did you want to add
anything?
FRANK POLACK: No, I choose to withhold
any chronological developments, any
unpublished departmental procedures until a
later date.
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
MS. AUBURN: Thank you, Mr. Masters.
Yes, we do have the letter and we need to
acknowledge that in the written
communications part. It is entered into the
record.
DONELLA MARSH: I'd like to say something.
My residence is 130 E. Ohio Street. I'm
quite concerned that everyone whose
property is involved in this redevelopment
plan is treated fairly. And at the market
price for their home. And my concern is
how you go about determining, since this
man mentioned the word blighted, that a
property is blighted and, if so, how did you
make that known? Also, I'm very
concerned that some appraisers came to our
home and did some appraising and did not
give a follow -up copy of the actual, final
appraisals. I don't think that that was
appropriate. I'd like to have access to those
documents. I'd like some answers to how
you intend to go about making sure that
people are treated fairly regarding their
property, whether there is a home on the lot
or they simply own land, simple lots, or
whatever. I want some detailed information
and I'd like to have that in writing.
MRS. KOLATA: We'd be glad to supply
something to you in writing, but let me just
respond to that right this moment. First off,
the appraisers are hired by the
Redevelopment Commission. There are two
appraisers assigned to each piece of
property. I believe that we have six or
seven total appraisers working in the
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
neighborhood: two are assigned to each
piece of property, but they are not always
the same two from property to property.
The appraisers are working for the
Commission, but they are independent
appraisers. They come up with the value
that they see as the value of the property and
they report it to the Commission. Because
the Commission is the one hiring the
appraisals, and because of some wording
within the state law, the appraisals are the
property of the Commission and the
Commission has never made copies of those
appraisals available to the homeowners.
MS. MARSH: Since you mentioned the state
law, by what jurisdiction of state law....
MS. KOLATA: It's under the redevelopment
statute and I can give you the specific
citation: it's 36- 7- 14 -19. It has to do with
acquisition of property. What happens,
then, is that the staff gets the two appraisals,
they are read, they are reviewed, and a price
is put forward as the staff recommendation
on price. Almost always it is the average of
the two appraisals. I won't say that it is,
100 % of the time, the average of the two
appraisals, but, as a rule, well over 90 % of
the time, what we offer is the average of the
two appraisals. That is what is brought to
the Commission.
MS. MARSH: How do I gain access to that
information?
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
MRS. KOLATA: Well, at the time a purchase
offer is sent, it would have a specific price
in it. If you wanted to get an appraisal of
your property, that would be up to you to
pay for someone else to do another appraisal
to compare it to ours. Or to work with a
real estate agent to say, "Does this seem like
a fair number ?" But we do not make our
appraisals available to anyone. Our offer is
based on the appraisals, after a review by
staff, it is generally the average, but the
appraisals themselves are Commission
documents and we stay by that.
In terms of treating people fairly, we have
bought property over the last few years. A
lot of property. We pride ourselves on our
staff and our fairness in dealing with
everybody that we work with. We try to
treat everyone as an individual circumstance
and treat them honestly and fairly and within
reason. We tell you, and we tell everyone,
that when we send a purchase offer you
have three choices: you can accept the
purchase offer, you can reject our purchase
offer, and you can make a counter offer.
The counter offer will be brought to the
Commission, they will be presented that
information, and they can decide "I like this
counter offer. I will accept it." or "I don't
like this counter offer. We'll make a counter
offer back. " The staff works and negotiates
with every single property owner that is out
there, whether they live there, whether they
have a business there, or whether it's a
vacant lot. We will treat everyone fairly.
That does not mean your counter offers will
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
all be accepted. It will depend on the
circumstances and how far apart we are.
But we will treat you fairly.
There are also, for people who are living
there or having a business there, there are
relocation benefits available that are separate
from the purchase price of the property.
Hedy Robinson on our staff and Gabriel
Okafor on our staff, both of them work on
both the acquisition and the relocation and,
again, will treat everyone individually,
fairly, and work through the circumstances
of what payments are due to individuals for
relocation and making sure that happens in a
fair manner.
We had one meeting in the Southeast
Neighborhood where there were several
people who had been relocated by us in the
past and the question from the neighborhood
group was, "Did you believe you were
treated fairly ?" The answer was, "Yes."
We pride ourselves in treating people
reasonably and with some compassion.
TINA POLACK: 1010 S. Michigan Street.
Should we have questioned the three
appraisers that came to our property that day
if only two were supposed to be sent by
you? We had three.
MRS. KOLATA: It may have been two from
one firm.
MS. POLACK: Two from one firm and, of
course, they were two different names, as
far as that goes.
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JON South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
MRS. KOLATA: There were two firms hired.
If one firm chooses to send two people,
that's their business.
MS. POLACK: Then there was a third person.
MRS. KoLATA: That's there business. They
are submitting one report. And another firm
will submit one report. So we will have
only two appraisals, even if there were three
people. We are only paying for two
appraisals.
REGINALD RUFFIN: I'm really concerned
about the timetable. There are several
factors involved. One, I have spent a lot of
money on a home that I was refurbishing
before you gave me this notice. The winter
is coming. Last spring I started putting in a
new hot water heating system which I didn't
complete because you'll be tearing it down.
But winter is coming near and I'm torn
between whether I should put in another
$800 - $1,000 to complete that and if I'll be
reimbursed. Second, is the timetable for the
kids that are in school. Are you planning on
moving us in the heart of winter and these
kids are already in school and we're going
to have to get them transferred to other
schools? I'd like you to address that.
MRS. KOLATA: I'm not sure that I can give
you an exact timetable. What is your
address again, sir?
MR. RUFFIN: 311 E. Keasey.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
MRS. KOLATA: That's right. We met at one
of the other meetings. I can't give you an
exact timetable as to when you will have to
move. My guess is that it will be during the
school year, given that this is just the
beginning of the school year and the school
year doesn't end until June. My assumption
would be that it would probably be
somewhere within the school year. Again,
that may depend. Purchase offers, when
they go out, give property owners a thirty -
day period in which to respond. We
normally would like to hear from people,
regarding the purchase offers, in less than
thirty days, but we give you at least thirty
days to respond to a purchase offer. Once
the purchase offers are sent, we start
working on relocation. It doesn't mean
we've agreed on a purchase price. But
Hedy will start working with folks on
relocation to start seeing what they are
looking for, where they are going, what
their benefits will be, etc.
We cannot force anyone to move until 90
days after we acquire possession of the
property. The only thing we can do in less
than ninety days would be in a dire
emergency, such as the house burning down,
where it would have to be less than that
ninety days. But normally what happens is
that once we acquire possession of the
property, we then issue a ninety -day notice
that says they should leave within ninety
days. Again, we can't force anybody who is
a resident to leave if they have no place to
go. It's a mutual responsibility. We need
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
to be working with you so that you know
what kinds of financial assistance you will
be getting, what payments you will be
getting; and you need to be looking. You
can't just ignore the fact that this is
happening. You need to be reasonably
looking. But, within that time period,
sometimes it does take longer than ninety
days. Again, it will depend. Some pieces
of property we may be able to give a longer
period of time, depending on where they are
located. There may be some circumstances,
sometimes.
MR. RUFFIN: Let me reiterate. Winter's
coming. I've got a large extension on my
house that's not insulated. I'm getting ready
to put in a boiler. That's a lot of money
that I have to put in to prepare for the
winter months in my home. You're getting
ready to tear down my house and you've
already appraised it. Now where's the
compensation going to come back for what
I'm going to have to do to ensure that my
family is warm for the winter.
MRs. KoLATA: You don't have adequate heat
in there now?
MR. RUFFIN: I don't have adequate heat
because the boiler went out. I have the new
boiler. I just have to finish the pipe work.
MRS. KOLATA: Normally, we tell people not
to be investing money in their homes at this
point. But I think where that comes in is in
a discussion of the purchase price.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
Obviously you need to be warm for the
winter.
MS. ROBINSON: The other thing that we may
do, if the work is extensive, if you put in
extensive work after the property has been
appraised, we can bring that work to the
attention of the appraiser and ask them to
consider that.
MR. RUFFIN: Then they can say, "Not
really. " I mean we're not going to redo it.
MRS. KOLATA: Right.
MR. RUFFIN: How do I get compensated? I
want something from the city to tell me that
if I spend another two or three thousand
dollars to assure that my family is going to
be warm, when you are going to take my
house.
MS. ROBINSON: I think the important thing to
do, even in that case, is to keep all of your
receipts for any improvements and we will
take that into consideration.
MRS. KoLATA: Right. And, again, I would
say that they should be things like heat, as
opposed to cosmetic. We all understand that
you can't defer something like heat. Keep
your receipts. We will consider that
because you are right —that is not in the
appraisal right now.
JO BLACKETOR: 906 E. Eckman. I just have
one question. It's a follow -up to Mrs.
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WANK South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
Marsh. To support the intent of the fair
process for those homeowners, would the
city development office consider releasing
funds for the homeowners from the
neighborhood monies so that each
homeowner can solicit their own appraisal?
MRs. KoLATA: We have not normally paid
for an appraisal. We have not provided
money for the homeowners. That is really a
private purpose for those neighbors. In
some cases people have gone out and gotten
appraisals on their own and spent that
money. In some cases they've just used
their judgement and their knowledge of the
neighborhood.
Ms. BLACKETOR: That's when they are
initiating that they want to sell their home.
MRS. KOLATA: No, not necessarily. I'm
saying, in response to our purchase offers,
people have come in with their own
appraisal in support of their counter offer.
And sometimes they have not spent that
money, they've just said, "Based on what I
know of land sales or ...
MS. BLACKETOR: So the City would not
consider that.
MRs. KoLATA: I don't think we would pay
for appraisals for everyone else, no. And it
would be at our direction. It would be
another appraisal bought by us and everyone
would still say it's our appraisal.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
Ms. BLACKETOR: No, you'd just release the
funds. They'd get the appraisals on their
own.
MRS. KoLATA: I'm not sure we can do that.
MRS. KoLATA: There was a question that
Ms. Marsh asked earlier that I didn't answer
and that was over the blight. An important
thing to know is that not every structure
within the neighborhood must be blighted in
order to be part of a blighted neighborhood.
We recognize that there are homes in the
neighborhood that, as individual pieces of
property, are not blighted. It is the
neighborhood, it is the area as a whole, that
is blighted. It is the development area that
has been declared blighted and confirmed
blighted. Not each single piece of property
within the area.
MARGARET ouvER: I'm sitting in for my
mother, Marie Banks. She's in the hospital.
She lives at 310 E. Keasey. She had
windows put into her home. She said they
had not appraised that yet. But she's still
paying on these windows and she's being
harassed because she refused to keep paying
for windows that they plan on tearing down
the house.
Ms. KoLATA: If she has a contract to have
done the windows, she needs to pay for that.
Because the work was done, the windows
were repaired, and that's her obligation to
pay for those windows. Again, if it's
something that she's done recently that she's
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
not sure that would get covered by the
appraisal, if she keeps the receipts and the
information, we can discuss that on an
individual basis. But we can't relieve her of
a responsibility to a contractor who put in
windows for her.
JOCELYN POLACK: I'm Frank T. Polack's
daughter and have taken over my father's
agency along with Polack Realty. A
concern about these appraisals ... I know that
they are supposed to be done on an
individual basis, and yet with improvements
that go into the properties, even though you
can go ahead and give your billings to
appraisers and they can take that into
consideration, it doesn't mean that they will
be fully compensated, of course, for those
improvements, such as the windows in the
house over there. Along with the (I'm
assuming that appraisals are taken on market
comparables of homes in the area) and
whether it's this house that has had new
windows compared to the house that's had
new heating, how do you go about justifying
giving a little bit more to this home
compared to the house next door to it that's
just as nice, but possibly not having one of
those new additions to it? I mean, your
market analysis or your prices that you are
going to be getting these homes for all these
people here, have to be adjusted to being in
this same proximity of pricing to go ahead
and come out all comparable to what the
appraisals are going to come back with.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
Ms. KOLATA: We do rely on the
qualifications of the appraisers and, as I
mentioned, there are a number of different
appraisers going through the neighborhood.
They are all qualified appraisers. Some of
them are only residential qualified appraisers
and some of them are qualified for
residential and commercial properties and
that's part of how we've divided up the
work load is to make sure that we have
commercial appraisers on every commercial
property, that we have residential appraisers
on every residential property, and we have
teamed them up so that we make sure we
have well qualified appraisers working on
each piece of property. They do look at a
number of factors when they are arriving at
their value. They look at the market; they
look at comparable properties; if it is
something that is an income- producing
property, they look at the income level and
they have to consider (although they don't
always use) the cost approach, the
reproduction value of a piece of property.
But each one of those properties, they look
at a number of different ways of appraising
the property and then they use their
professional judgement as to what is the
value of that property. They certainly will
not all be the same value within the
neighborhood. There will be some real
consistencies in value, but there will also
be ... commercial frontage on Michigan Street
will have a different value than a residential
lot several blocks off of Michigan Street. I
don't think there's any question about that.
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API South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
MS. JOCELYN POLACK: Another question,
too, though, is that you mentioned about
people should start looking, possibly. Well
what price range are you telling these people
to go out and look at?
MS. KOLATA: I'm not telling them to go look
today, because we have not sent a purchase
offer to anyone. The worst thing that could
happen would be for somebody to move
before we send a purchase offer. In that
case, we would still be purchasing the
property, but your eligibility for relocation
benefits would be gone. So, I am not saying
to anyone, to go out and move at this point.
What I'm saying is that once we send the
purchase offer, once we start having a
purchase offer, then that will give you some
clue. Hedy and Gabriel will start meeting
with folks about relocation benefits and for
an owner in the area who has a house, what
you need to consider, in buying a
replacement house, is not only the value that
we're giving you for your house, but, also,
your relocation benefit. For
homeowner /occupants in the area, that
relocation benefit can be up to $22,500. In
addition to that, there are moving costs. So
it really will depend, on a case -by -case
basis,. Hedy and Gabriel will work that out
individually with everyone. Tenants in the
property will get a certain amount of
relocation. It is not as generous as for
owner /occupants. But you have to add those
numbers together to determine what can be
affordable. There are also limits. We have
to look at individuals' incomes and make
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
sure that our benefits are geared to their
being affordable —that the new housing is
affordable to the individuals. So that's all
done case by case, individually, and
confidentially.
MR. HUNT: Ann, you may want to go over
that. Because of all the neighborhood
meetings we've had where this has come up,
the question of understanding relocation
benefits and purchase price and their
relationship is pretty important. In every
meeting we've had to talk about the project,
the ones Hedy has been at or that I've been
at, that question's come up. Maybe you
should walk through the acquisition plus
relocation benefit. It can go up to $22,500.
Ms. xoLATA: It's not an automatic $22,500.
But it can be that high. It depends on what
a comparable property costs, what you end
up paying for a new house, and what you
get from us in acquisition. But generally,
the relocation benefits for owner /occupants
are fairly generous and enable people to
move into a situation that they can afford
that is comparable to what they are in now
in terms of their cost.
A couple of other things: 1) we've had staff
meeting at the Southeast Quality of Life
meetings on a monthly basis. We will
continue to go to those meetings on a
monthly basis; 2) we are going to be sending
letters to all of the residents of the area that
need to be relocated to start collecting
information and meeting with you
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
individually to start to determine (it isn't
going to be a final determination) what your
housing needs are and what your income
information is so that we know
approximately what you are looking for and
can start giving you some sense of an idea
on what will be available to each individual
person, whether they are a tenant or a
homeowner.
MS. AUBURN: So, Ann, there are other
mechanisms. You are having meetings out
there so that people can come and learn
about the mechanics.
ANN Ms. KOLATA: But we would never discuss a
particular individual's benefits at a group
meeting. That's a confidential thing. We
would do that one on one. So, while we
could come to a group meeting and explain,
in principal, what the benefits are, then what
we would do is set up individual meetings
with people so that that private information
can be discussed.
MS. ROBINSON: We have sent out letters to
each property owner and resident to set up
appointments starting next week to sit down
with individual people to go over the
relocation benefits.
The other thing I want to add... Ann talked
about the ninety -day requirement to vacate.
We cannot ask you to vacate your property
until we have provided at least one
comparable property. So the ninety -day
notice is not effective until that comparable
property has been provided to you.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
Ms. KOLATA: And that ninety days is ninety
days after we possess the property. That's
not ninety days from when we send the
purchase offer. That's ninety days from the
day we get control of the property. That
could be as quickly or as slowly as it takes.
MS. AUBURN: I just want the people in the
audience to know that there are other
meetings that you'll be having so that if you
still have questions about the technical steps
and the timing of some of those steps, that
there will be other meetings, though groups
or through individuals, where you can get
some of those questions answered.
INEZ BRACEY: I live at 404 E. Keasey. I
would like to know, in case you take this
property, will I get enough money to get
another home that I don't have to be paying
rent, because we're retired.
Ms. KoLATA: That is exactly part of the
discussion of relocation benefits that Hedy
will work through with you. It depends on
your circumstances and so on, but, yes,
that's the intent of the relocation payment:
to put you into a similar financial condition
that you are in right now.
JOHN WIGFALL: I have a cousin sitting in the
back. Her husband and myself, we're
buying houses from the same person. I look
on this list and their name is on there. My
name is not on there and we're under land
contract, buying from the same person.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
MS. KOLATA: Is your land contract
recorded?
MR. WIGFALL: I don't know.
MS. KOLATA: It may not be. What you
should do is get us a copy of your land
contract and we'll sort through that. We
deal with the owner of record from the title
company. We double check that against the
tax records. But we go with the information
that shows on title work. If your land
contract isn't recorded, you probably aren't
showing up as the owner. But you should
get us that information.
MR. WIGFALL: I'm sure that it was sent in at
the same time that Paulette's was sent in.
MS. KOLATA: To be recorded?
MR. WIGFALL: I don't know.
MS. KOLATA: Recording means that its
copied down in the public records. A lot of
times land contracts are not recorded.
Therefore it doesn't show up that you have
an ownership interest. But we would be
dealing with you as well as the land contract
seller. So we need to get that information
from you.
MR. POLACK: 1010 S. Michigan Street. The
local newspaper quoted Ann Kolata as
saying that they are on a fast track. They
want to build by next summer. What are we
supposed to do in the meanwhile? Look for
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
a place? Stay put? How much time are we
going to be allowed since you are going to
be on a fast track? What track are you
putting us on?
Ms. KOLATA: This whole project is on a fast
track, which means that we are going to try
to start sending purchase offers within the
next thirty days. We should be sending the
first purchase offers out. It depends on
when the appraisals come back. But once
we start getting the purchase offers out, we
will be negotiating. Once we send you a
purchase offer, yes, you should start
looking. I know some people have started
looking now. It doesn't hurt to look, but do
not move now and do not commit to buying
now unless you are sure that you have
another way of financing it, because until we
send you a purchase offer, we are only
intending to acquire your property. And
so, we don't want somebody to go out on a
limb. We intend to acquire your property,
but until we send you the purchase offer it
isn't final. It may be possible, if you found
some piece of property, or anyone sees a
house or something that they like, it may be
possible to get an option that doesn't cost
you much money and doesn't bind you
beyond a certain period of time, but that's
your own business and you should not move
now.
ms. AuBuRN: A couple of you have spoken
before. Let me make sure that there are no
other individuals that have not yet spoken
that would like to.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
KAREN HIGH: I'm here on behalf of Ethel
Nyikos, 308 E. Wenger. I want you to
know, she's lived there for over sixty years.
The city's going to come and take this house
away. I mean, she's lived there all her life.
She's 82 years old and has to relocate and
start all over again. How can they help her?
MS. KOLATA: The same way we will help
everyone else. That's on an individual
basis. Working with her, determining what
her housing needs are, what her desires are.
Ms. HIGH: She's got sixty years worth of
things in this house. It's a big house that's
condensed into a little house. She's a
nervous wreck about this.
Ms. KoLATA: I understand that. And she's
not alone. There are other people who are
in that same position and have been in that
position before. We try to understand the
feelings. We will try to combine as many
services as possible. This is not the first
time we've encountered something like this.
Part of the relocation payments can be things
like counselling services to help deal with
things like stress. That's an eligible
relocation cost. There are a whole bunch of
eligible relocation costs. If that becomes
necessary, Hedy will be talking about that
with individuals. It's sad to say, it won't be
the first time.
JACINTA POLACK WIELGOS: I'm one of the
many daughters of Frank and Tina Polack at
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
1010 S. Michigan. My question is directed
to you, as well as to everybody. You just
said that you're not trying to put everybody
out on a limb right now, when, in fact, we
are out on a limb. Does that clock start
ticking when we get the notification of a
purchase price? Does that give us a chance
to negotiate a price with you, or is that a
final thing? When does that clock stop
ticking, if you get into a discussion that we
don't agree with this price from these people
that have given you this information?
MS. KOLATA: That's a good point. If you
want to call it " the clock starting to tick", it
does start with the purchase offer being sent.
We ask that you respond to the purchase
offer within thirty days. It can be sooner
than thirty days, but we want to hear from
people within thirty days. If we are having
negotiations, we do not cut off the clock at
thirty days. As long as we are in a
negotiation period, we will carry that out as
long as we have to in order to come to some
conclusion.
MS. WIELGOS: How to you propose that they
go and find a house if the price isn't
negotiated on this? How are they supposed
to go out and look for a home when you
can't agree on a price? What are they
supposed to do?
MS. KOLATA:They will have, at least, the
knowledge of what our price is. They will
have some information on the relocation
benefits, I won't say its the final number on
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
the relocation benefits, because those are not
determined until you find the house.
MS. WIELGOS: Have you been out there to
buy a house lately? Do you really think
there are enough homes out there for this
many buyers?
Ms. KOLATA: That's why we suggest that
people start to look and start to get an idea
of where they want to go, what they are
looking for, what's available. We
understand the time between when you find
a house and make an offer and have that
offer accepted and closing. We certainly
understand that.
Ms wIELGos: Let me make this clear then.
So then, earlier you said not to do anything,
but now you are saying that you should kind
of start looking? Get an idea of what's going
on?
Ms. KOLATA: That's up to you. I'm saying
don't make a commitment to buy another
house before you get a purchase offer from
US.
Ms. wIELGos: I can understand that and I
agree with you on that point. But this limb
thing "out on a limb" when we are on a
limb bothers me because the time frame is
critical. Because you said, " the clock starts
ticking". And that doesn't give a chance for
the people to...
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
Ms. KoLATA: Well, you're the one who said
the clock starts ticking.
MS. WIELGOS: Well, in essence, it does start
ticking. You just said that.
MS. KOLATA: It's true. But we try to be
reasonable and allow people time to find
another place and to move within a
reasonable period of time. I can't give a
thing that says that we will absolutely,
positively, require you out on this day,
because we're more flexible than that. What
we want to know is that people are working
with our staff, working to look to find
something else. If they need help from our
staff to go out and look for property, we
will be doing that. Hedy will be reviewing
what's currently available in the market and
making information available to everyone
who is looking for homes. That's part of
our requirement. But, if somebody needs a
ride to go look at a house, we will provide
that service. The point is that you just
can't .... I mean, that's one of the reasons we
like to send the purchase offers as early as
we can, because we realize people are in a
position right now where you know it's
coming, but you can't do anything about it
until the purchase offer comes. We're
trying to shorten that time schedule down.
When I say we're on a fast track, that's
what we're trying to shorten down. Not
necessarily that you only have two weeks to
get out. We don't do that to people.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
Ms. wiELGos: Let me go back, then, with
what you said earlier. With these appraisers
that come in there and they come up with an
appraisal, between the two of them, and you
sit down with your staff and the other
Commissioners, when you come up with this
price, it's a total of the two, you said.
Ms. KOLATA: It's an average of the two,
generally.
Ms. WIELGOS: Excuse me, an average of the
two. You're correct in saying that. This
average that you get, this is when you notify
the people of this agreement price that
you've come upon. If the people should so
dispute this price, with this official
notification, and you try to come in
agreement with a price, what is a fair price?
Do you, the staff, the Commission, Hedy?
It sounds like she will be really busy. Is she
going to come out there and look at this
property? Or do you just sit from in here
and decide? Do you actually go out to those
people's homes, the homes that they've lived
in all their lives, as an established business,
and look and see what's going on in these
places? Do you go in there and look, or
not? Do you not even get involved in that
point?
Ms. KoLATA: I think that's twofold. As a
rule we don't go into every single piece of
property. At least I don't. Hedy goes and
meets with most of the people being
relocated and probably goes into almost
everybody's home. That's up to the
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
homeowner, if they want to come meet with
us here or whether they want us in their
home. If somebody says, "Come out and
look at my piece of property, we'll go out
and look at their piece of property. That's
up to the individual. But in response to how
do we negotiate, we send you an offer based
on our appraisals. You either agree with it
or you disagree with it. If you disagree
with it, you should make a counter offer.
The Commission will make a determination
as to whether they feel that that is a
reasonable counter offer or not. And what
are they basing that on? They are basing it
on their expert appraisers and some
judgement on their part and information
provided by each homeowner. I can't sit
here and say it happens this way or that
way. It happens in the negotiating process.
All our purchase offer does is say "this is
what we're offering you for your property. "
You have to respond to that. At that point
we'll start talking to the individuals. If you
want us to come out to your home, we'll do
that. Some people don't want us to and we
don't. But Hedy, as part of relocation, does
go into many people's homes and does work
with them on a personal basis.
Ms AUBURN: Again, I want to say, that there
are other meetings and individual meetings
with Hedy and with Gabriel to answer
technical kinds of questions. That is not the
purpose of today's public hearing. I'm
going to try to watch our time a little bit and
still give everybody an opportunity to be
heard. It's obvious that a couple of people
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AN South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
in the audience have questions that they will
need to follow up and meet with Ann or
Hedy or Gabriel on an individual basis, to
begin to get some of their individual
questions and their particular situation
worked out on an individual basis. The
appraisers that we use are independent
appraisers. It is their independent
knowledge and their independent expertise
that we rely on as a Commission.
Also, as Commission members, Mike,
Roman, and myself, and Mr. Faccenda, and
Ted Sharp that are not here, on many
occasions get phone calls from the public,
many of them, sometimes, very angry and
complaining phone calls. But I can tell you
in all honesty: I've never received a phone
call complaining about Hedy or Gabriel or
the relocation process. I've received lots of
complaints about the decisions that we've
made, disagreements about the direction that
we're taking as a Commission, but I've
never had an individual who is being
relocated and in that very tough, tough
emotional situation, call and complain about
how they were treated. Ms. Blacketor, you
had another comment that you wanted to
make.
Nis. BLACKETOR: I have three questions: 1)
the other meetings that you are referring to
are an after thought, correct? And let me
just finish my questions. They all kind of
tie in together. The other meetings are after
this public hearing has determined that we
will move forward. It's my understanding
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
based on the legalities of the advertising,
that the other meetings are after the fact. My
second question: why the fast track, since
Ivy Tech and the Juvenile Center funding
have not been approved yet? Is there a
business commitment in the neighborhood
that we're not aware of? Finally, what
residential areas and homes are available
that have homes for less than $100,000 for
this amount of people, or are we considering
allowing these homeowners to build? Where
will they go.
MR. HUNT: On the one question, on the
business commitment. Absolutely not.
There's not one private sector interest that
has come to me to say, "Gee, we're
interested in the area. "
Ms. KoLATA: The meetings with individuals,
are they after the fact? They are after the
public hearing. We've been meeting... There
has not been a decision on this acquisition,
but there has been no secret about the fact
that we have been considering this area, that
we have been meeting with neighborhood
residents for months, we have been fielding
phone calls, we have had some meetings
with individuals who are affected, although I
won't say that it's a large number of them.
Ms. 13LACKETOR: The questions here that
we're putting aside, really are not the key
questions. The key question is whether the
acquisition is acceptable to these
homeowners. Do they accept this price.
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JPN South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
Ms. KOLATA: I think that's what Ms.
Auburn was just saying. Some of these are
getting down to details of the process as
opposed to the other. That's up to the
public here today as to how they want to
speak. Your question about why the fast
track when the financing for Parkview or
Ivy Tech is not in place, is partly, number
one, Parkview, while they have a bond
petition out now, ideally, would like to start
construction sometime next year. Whether
that goes forward now or not will obviously
be a factor of their financing. But, the same
reason that we want to move forward on a
fast track is to allow people the time that
they can then have, maybe, more than ninety
days to move out. They're not up against a
deadline and we can be more understanding
and more lenient than the strict limits of
what our responsibilities are. We don't
want to get into a position where people
have to move much faster and we can be
more lenient on that. Frankly, we do expect
that the Parkview project will be under way
next year at this time. So, it's going to take
time. People don't just move over night.
Not this amount.
In response to where do people go and what
homes are available: First off, we don't
select where people go. People go wherever
they want to go. What we do is we look
through multiple listing service as to what's
currently on the market; we look through
want ads in the newspaper as to what's
currently on the market; we look at
comparable homes. If somebody has a three
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
bedroom house, two story, one and a half
baths, etc., we don't start comparing that to
ranch style houses. We look for comparable
houses in determining what their relocation
payments are going to be. We may suggest
certain things that are currently on the
market, but that by no means means that
somebody has to move into any of those
homes. They are free to select wherever
they want. It doesn't even have to be within
St. Joseph County. It can be anywhere in
the United States. We pay relocation
benefits depending on where people go.
People do sometimes move out of the
community.
Did you ask if somebody could build a
house?
MS. BLACKETOR: It's my experience, and I
live on the southeast side. I don't live in the
neighborhood here you're trying to buy.
But it's my experience that there aren't any
homes that are less than $100,000 right now
in that community. On the north side of
Ewing. And if you are clearing that area
out, where will they go.
MS. KOLATA:That's not correct. That's not
correct. There are homes.
MS. BLACKETOR: I was asking where they
are.
MS. KOLATA: There's a lot.
Ms. AUBURN: They're in my neighborhood.
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
MS. MA1vIER: They're in my neighborhood
Ms. KOLATA: We could sit down with a
map... they're throughout the city. There
are homes that are less than that.
Ms. AUBURN: There's a gentleman in the
back who would like to speak.
S.E. PRICE: 139 E. Pennsylvania. I was
wondering when they come out and check
these properties and do they consider what
the house is or what the house is bringing
in? Is that included in?
Ms. KOLATA: Is yours a rental property?
MR. PRICE: Yes.
Ms. KoLATA: They should be looking at
both. Rental properties should have income
considered.
MR. PRICE: OK. That's what I want to
know.
MABEL HALL: 409 Wenger Street. They've
already appraised my house. When will
they be sending them out?
MS. KOLATA: They've appraised the house?
The reports have not all come into our
office. We've just started to get the
appraisal reports. They will not send you
the appraisal. They send it to us. We will
send a purchase offer. Our estimate is that
we'll start sending purchase offers in thirty
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
days. Probably by the beginning of
November. But I don't know whether that
will be yours or not. We don't think we're
going to send them all the same day. We
don't think we'll be able to send them all the
same day.
MS. POLACK: I need to respond to Ann. She
mentioned that if we ask you to come in to
see your property, we would be more than
happy to do so. I've invited you and Jon
Hunt so many times and he tells me you go
up and down Michigan Street, but I've yet
to see you at our place. In the meantime,
I've had the Historical Society at our place.
Both societies suggested that we relocated.
Have you any.... Yes you do have an idea,
because you're in redevelopment. What
faces us in relocating....
Ms. KOLATA: Moving the house, you mean?
MS. POLACK: Yes, our residence and the
business.
Ms. KOLATA: I understand.
MS. POLACK: Jon, himself, told me several
months ago: get in touch with contractors,
movers, electricians, plumbers. I mean, you
name it. And which we did. It was a job
for me. They all came down and it wasn't
easy. Some of them told me, told my
husband and me, that they would like an
answer before the end of this year because
of price change next year. So what do we
do about stuff like that?
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re South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
MS. KOLATA: You have the information,
we'll try to get you your purchase offer as
soon as possible, and, yes, we will consider
house moves. We will consider moving
houses and it will depend on a number of
factors. We will consider that and I think
that's a reasonable suggestion.
MS. POLACK: And what about the choice of
properties? Have you any idea how many
properties, pieces of property there might be
on South Michigan, away from the center of
town. I don't want to be in the center of
town any more. There aren't many.
Ms. KOLATA: We understand that. We've
driven up and down and I know some of the
properties that look like they might be
available, but I have no idea if they are
available.
Ms. AUBURN: Yes, Ma'am?
ELECH McKELRY: I live at 216 E. Ohio. I
wish to know about the fall tax. It's time to
pay fall tax.
MS. KOLATA: Yes, you should pay your
taxes because they are basically for last
year, payable (in the) next year. If you did
not pay your taxes, when we go to buy your
property that would be one of the first things
that we would take care of. Some of your
money would go to pay your delinquent
taxes. So if any of you have property taxes
that you have to pay, you should pay them.
And they are for last year. This is '92
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
payable '93. Your '93 taxes, payable '94.
If we were to buy your house still in '93,
there would be portion of your tax that
would not be payable next year, but by that
time you'll be in another house and you'll
have taxes on the other house.
TINA POLACK: I have one more question.
Ms. AUBURN: I'm going to let this be the
last question and then I'm going to close the
public portion of the meeting.
MR. POLACK: I thought this was a public
hearing.
MS. AUBURN: It is.
MR. POLACK: Then let it be a public
hearing.
Ms. AUBURN: Excuse me, Mr. Polack. But
she is going to speak. And you've been able
to speak... and you've been able to speak
also.
MR. POLACK: Don't limit us, it's a public
hearing.
Ms. AUBURN: So please, be quite. And let
your daughter speak.
Ms. POLACK: The problem, the situation
that's facing all of us here, I mean, excuse
the expression, come hell or high water it's
going to be done, no matter how we look at
it. Other than the fact of hoping the
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
transition for a majority of the people here
will go as smooth as possible and everybody
will be treated as fairly and honestly as
possible, relocating them in areas that's
going to be comparable as well as price in
certain areas. Yet, with what we're looking
at here, for us, ourselves, when we met with
the Mayor a couple of weeks ago and we
told him that we needed some kind of
decision for us because we do have a
business ... I have two businesses in this
place, and my parents live there. And I
need to have something, as well as very
accommodating to our traffic flow area of
where we are located right now. And we
were told by the Mayor, well don't move
too fast because nothing has really been
decided. Throughout the course of this
meeting, on two different occasions, we've
been told, well, maybe you should go
looking. It won't hurt. Then we were told,
no, don't start looking until you get the
purchase contract.
MS. KOLATA: No, that is not what I said.
Ms. POLACK: No, now we're told again, go
ahead and we're going to send out purchase
contracts in thirty days. And we're going to
have a certain amount of time to go ahead
and remonstrate against the decision of the
purchase contract, but then after the thirty
days we have a ninety day period...
Ms. KOLATA: No, no... You're misinformed.
You're not listening to what's being said.
Number one, if you want to go look at
-41-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
things now, you can do that. What I said
was, don't make commitments that you
cannot follow through on without our
purchase offer. Don't go buy another
house. Don't go buy another piece of
property.
MS. POLACK: I know about commitments.
I'm not looking at commitments. But when
we're looking at other homes out there,
homes are on the market for a certain
amount of time before someone else may
come along and purchase them. Now, we're
going to lose that kind of home that we have
looked at, or possibly that part of a
business, as far as the places we're looking
at, because of not making a decision right
now...
Ms. KoLATA: I think I know the answer to
this. Are you saying that you would like us
to send your purchase offer as soon as
possible? Is that what you're saying?
Ms. POLACK: Yes, I think all of us before
we...
Ms. KOLATA: I'm not asking all of you, I'm
asking for you and your parents, do you
want your purchase offer as soon as
possible?
MS. POLACK: Yes, we'd like to know what's
going on.
MS. KOLATA: We will try to accommodate
that. To the best that we can. We have to
-42-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
wait for our appraisals to come back in. But
we will try to accommodate that.
MS. POLACK: (Turning to the rest of the
audience) And do you want your purchase
contracts as soon as possible? So you know
what you are doing?
Ms. xoLATA: We are trying. And that is my
comment about trying to put it on a fast
track and sending them as rapidly as we can.
But we can't send them any faster than we
get the appraisals in. We have to read the
appraisals and we have to review them.
And I will defy anybody to read 400
appraisals over night. You cannot do that.
And we have to review them. We have to
make sure that our appraisals are in, that we
have read them, that the staff has reviewed
them. We will do them as rapidly as we
can. We will send purchase offers as
rapidly as we can. But I can't guarantee
what day that's going to be. And we will
try to do that as rapidly as possible.
One, thing, if you do get a purchase offer
and you know of a piece of property that
you want to move to, then you need to give
a response on that other piece of property,
then you need to get back to us pretty
rapidly and let us know that, too. I mean, if
you've got a house out there that you want
to move into, don't wait the thirty days.
The other thing I take exception to is that I
said that the ninety -day period begins when
we take possession. So, let's say you take
-43-
AM
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
thirty days to accept our purchase offer and
then it takes us another two weeks, four
weeks to close on the property, the ninety
days doesn't start until we close on the
property. If we do not agree on price and
this goes through court, it will be even
longer because we will not have possession
for several months. And then the ninety
days begins from the time that the court
gives us possession. So, minimum, it
sounds like everybody is going to get about
one hundred twenty days — minimum. And
it could be far longer than that. It could be
faster than that if people want it to be faster
than that. But, it could be at least that long.
Ms. AuBuRN: I have a question for Hedy
and Gabriel. When you go out and when
you begin to meet with individuals, do you
sit down and go through the process and the
time frame and kind of work with them on
that?
MS. ROBINSON: Yes, we do. We go through
the entire process.
Ms. AuBuRN: So you spend some time with
each ...
MS ROBINSON: Yes, we do. I'd like to say
something. There are a lot of realtors out
there that are dying to started working with
people. I would suggest, strongly, before
you enter into a contract, please talk to me.
One of the requirements, the property that
you are buying has to meet the requirements
of being decent, safe and sanitary. We have
-44-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
to do an inspection. If that is not in the
contract and you sign, you're going to be
made to buy that property. So, please
contact me because there is a process that
we have to go through before that property
can be acquired. Please work with me. I
can't stress that any stronger.
Ms. KOLATA: We will send purchase offers
in the order in which we get the appraisals.
And we need two appraisals for each
property. I think most of the inspections
have been done. They are writing reports.
They are mailing them in. If that means we
start on Ohio Street or we start on Keasey
Street, or we start on Michigan Street, it
will be a function of when the appraisals
come in and in what order they come in.
And that is not within our control. All I can
tell you is that we will go through them as
rapidly as we can. We've been anticipating
all of this coming into the office. We're
trying to gear up for it. We think we are in
fairly decent shape for reviewing them. But
you just don't do it all in one night.
Ms. AUBURN: Is there anyone who has not
yet spoken who wants to?
CLAUDIA BURKS: 2615 Westmore. Do we
get to know what the property was appraised
at?
Ms. KoLATA: No. Not the individual
values. You get a purchase offer based on
the appraisals. Generally, it is the average
of the two. The law does not allow us to go
-45-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
higher than the average of the two. Our
purchase offer cannot exceed the average of
the two. That doesn't mean that it can be
the final settlement, but our offer cannot
exceed that.
Ms. AUBURN: Is there anyone else who has
not spoken who would like to speak?
MOFFETT: 1206 N. Johnson. I'm here on
behalf of my father, O.C. Peterson, 236 E.
Paris Street. What I wanted to know, did
you say that you would assist tenants in
relocating?
Ms. KOLATA: Yes. And we will do
whatever it takes. We find people that know
what they want, they go out, they contact a
realtor, they buy their own piece of property
and all we do is pay the bills. And we have
other people who need a lot of assistance
and we help them. It just really depends on
the individual.
Ms. POLACK: Can I say something again?
Ann this is directed to you. Clarify
something. When these appraisals come in
and we don't get a copy, maybe I
misunderstood something. Why don't we
get a copy?
Ms. KoLATA: Because of state law says they
are solely for the use of the Commission.
Ms. POLACK: What would happen if we went
out on our own and had these people come
back and we paid them? Do you know what
-46-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
I mean, so that we had an idea? The same
people who did it for you. If we paid these
people out of our own pocket. And I'm just
saying so we know ourselves.
Ms. KOLATA: I don't believe they would take
that assignment. I think you would have to
get someone else. There are certain
standards for appraisers and my guess is that
they would not, having appraised the
property for us, they would not appraise it
for you. They would turn down the
assignment. But you would be certainly free
to go somewhere else. To get someone with
similar qualifications and have them do the
appraisal.
Ms. AUBURN: I'm going to close the Public
Hearing and take questions from the
Commission.
Mr. Piasecki commented that this meeting is
similar to the Public Hearing held for the
Airport 2010 acquisition. There were many
objections and many proposals. Not one of
those people who objected to being moved
ended up unhappy. Mr. Piasecki received
letters and phone calls from those people
saying they were perfectly happy. Also,
from other areas where we acquired
property, none of the people are unhappy
with the results. He is sure everyone
present today will be happy with the results.
Ms. Auburn thanked everyone who came for
the Public Hearing, These kinds of
situations are never easy. She noted that as
-47-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
Commission members, they take their
charge very seriously. It may not always
look that way, but they do everything in
their power to make it as fair and humane a
process as possible.
b. Commission approval requested for
Resolution No. 1193.
Upon a motion by Mr. Piasecki, seconded
by Mr. Donoho and unanimously carried,
the Commission approved Resolution No.
1193 amending the Development Plan for
the Sample -Ewing Development Area.
C. Commission approval requested for proposal
for Real Estate Services for Commission
property.
Mrs. Kolata noted that Coldwell Banker and
Holladay Corporation made presentations at
the last Commission meeting to perform real
estate services for the Commission in
redevelopment areas. Both firms are very
well qualified and the choice is a difficult
one. The staff has no recommendation to
make.
Ms. Auburn stated that she favored the
proposal from Coldwell Banker because of
the networking system they have in place for
reaching the Chicago and Detroit markets.
Mr. Donoho stated that he, also, favored
Coldwell Banker as their presentation
indicated a greater ability to tap the Midwest
markets.
COMMISSION APPROVED RESOLUTION NO.
1193 AMENDING THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
FOR THE SAMPLE -EWING DEVELOPMENT
AREA
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
C. continued...
Mr. Piasecki, although he would have liked
to see the work split between the two
companies, agreed that, if he had to choose
one, it was Coldwell Banker.
Both Mr. Ellison and Ms. Litell agreed that,
the decision being made on who will market
the property, they could both work together
in the market place to sell it.
Upon a motion by Mr. Donoho, seconded COMMISSION APPROVED THE PROPOSAL
by Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried, FROM COLDWELL BANKER FOR REAL
the Commission approved the proposal from ESTATE SERVICES FOR COMMISSION
Coldwell Banker for Real Estate Services for PROPERTY
Commission property.
d. Staff report on disposition of land in the
Sample - Ewing Development Area.
Mr. Okafor noted that Richard Allen
submitted a counter offer for Disposition
Parcel 23 in the Sample -Ewing Development
Area. The property is located at Main and
Broadway. Mr. Allen proposes to construct,
initially eight units of flexible light industrial
space. The construction will be carried out
in two phases. Phase one will be the eight
units, the curbs, sidewalks and landscaping,
breaking ground in November 1993. The
second phase will be four additional units.
Completion of Phase I will be within eight
months of ground breaking. Total project
cost will be $375,500. The staff
recommends approving the proposal.
Mrs. Kolata noted that the minimum bid
price for this property was $40,500. Mr.
-49-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
d. continued...
Allen's original proposal included the
provision that the City do the sidewalks and
landscaping. He has agreed to do that
himself and reduced his purchase offer by
that cost.
Upon a motion by Mr. Donoho, seconded
by Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried,
the Commission accepted the proposal from
Richard Allen for Disposition Parcel 23 in
the Sample -Ewing Development Area in the
amount of $26,000.
e. Staff report on disposition of property in the
Airport Economic Development Area.
Mrs. Kolata asked that item 6.e. be tabled.
f. Commission approval requested for
Resolution No. 1195 transferring property in
the Sample -Ewing Development Area.
Mrs. Kolata explained that Parcel K of
Block 10 is a long, thin piece of land
(26'x403') that will be conveyed to Howard
Goodhew. It was part of the negotiations on
the purchase of land from Mr. Goodhew to
clean up the ownership of that block.
Approval of this resolution allows us to
execute a deed to Mr. Goodhew.
Upon a motion by Mr. Donoho, seconded
by Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried,
the Commission approved Resolution No.
1195 transferring property in the Sample -
Ewing Development Area.
-50-
COMMISSION ACCEPTED THE PROPOSAL
FROM RICHARD ALLEN FOR DISPOSITION
PARCEL 23 IN THE SAMPLE -EWING
DEVELOPMENT AREA IN THE AMOUNT OF
$26,000
ITEM 6.E. WAS TABLED
COMMISSION APPROVED RESOLUTION NO.
1195 TRANSFERRING PROPERTY IN THE
SAMPLE -EWING DEVELOPMENT AREA
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - October 1, 1993
7. PROGRESS REPORTS
Mrs. Kolata reported that Jon Hunt received the
Ivan H. Brinegar Municipal Managemetn Award
at the Annual Conference of the Indiana
Association of Cities and Towns. Mr. Hunt was
recognized for his public service.
8. NEXT COMMISSION MEETING
PROGRESS REPORTS
The next Regular Meeting of the Redevelopment NEXT COMMISSION MEETING
Commission is scheduled for Friday, October 15,
1993 at 10:00 a.m.
9. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before ADJOURNMENT
the Commission, Mr. Donoho made a motion that
the meeting be adjourned. Mr. Piasecki seconded
the motion and the meeting was adjourned at
11:4 a.m.
Paula N. Auburn, President Ann . Kolata, Director
-51-
NEMETH, MASTERS & LEONE
ATTORNEYS AT LAw
SurrE 307
Nomm BANK BUILDING
CHARLES S. LEONE 112 WEST JEFFERSON BOULEVARD
JAMES A. MASTERS Soum BEND, INDIANA 46601
JOHN D.STODDARD TELEPHONE(219)234 -0121
FACSIMILE (219) 234 -8054
September 30, 1993
Ms. Paula A. Auburn, President
Redevelopment Commission
1200 County -City Building
227 West Jefferson Blvd.
South Bend, IN 46601
Hand Delivered
PETER F. NEMETH
DEVmm D.GoHEEN
JOSEPH S. DONNELLY
OF COUNSEL
La 1993
RE: Resolution No. 1193
Sample Ewing Development Plan
Dear Ms. Auburn and Members of the Redevelopment Commission:
This letter is addressed to you on behalf of my clients,
Frank T. and Justine H. Polack, owners of real estate located at
1010 South Michigan Street, South Bend, Indiana (Tax Key Nos.
18- 7001 -0025; 18- 7001 - 0094). Mr. and Mrs. Polack hereby
remonstrate against the proposed Sample Ewing Development Plan
and the proposed amendment to the Plan.
The basis for this remonstrance is that Mr. and Mrs.
Polack's property sought to be acquired by the Redevelopment
Commission is not within an area which is blighted to an extent
that can not be corrected by regulatory processes or by the
ordinary operations of private enterprise within the meaning and
intent of I.C. 36- 7- 14 -15, and that the property to be acquired
is not needed for a project of public utility and benefit. The
property owned by Mr. and Mrs. Polack is their home and office
and is in active use. Other properties located adjacent to Mr.
and Mrs. Polack, to the South and especially along the East side
of South Michigan Street, are commercial properties also in
active use. There is no legal or factual basis to find the
Polack property to be blighted or that the property is needed for
a public purpose.
Mr. and Mrs. Polack request that you not include their
property in the Sample Ewing Development Area Plan. Thank you
for your kind attention to this matter.
Very truly yours,
Jes A.
JAM: lad \F: Masters \Polack. Ltr
cc: Ann E. Kolata, Director
Frank T. Justine H. Polack
Masters
r
SOUTH BEND REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
December 17, 1993
10:00 a.m.
Presiding: Paula N. Auburn
President
I. ROLL CALL
1308 County -City Building
227 W. Jefferson Boulevard
South Bend, Indiana
Members Present: Ms. Paula N. Auburn, President
Mr. Roman J. Piasecki, Vice - President
Mr. Theo F. Sharp, Secretary
Mr. Philip Faccenda
Members Absent: Mr. Michael Donoho
Legal Counsel: Ms. Jenny Pitts Manier
Redevelopment Staff: Mrs. Ann Kolata, Director
Mr. Jon Hunt, Executive Director
Mrs. Cheryl Phipps, Recording Secretary
Mr. Gabriel Okafor, Economic Dev. Specialist
Mr. Larry Magliozzi, Economic Dev. Specialist
Bureau of Housing Staff: Ms. Mary Richmond
Media: Mr. Thom Howell, U -93
Mr. Don Porter, South Bend Tribune
Others: Mr. Carter Wolf, Center City Associates
Ms. Julie Ludwig, The Colfax Group
Mr. Leo Trevino
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
a. Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting
of Friday, December 3, 1993.
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded
by Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Minutes of the
Regular Meeting of Friday, December 3,
1993.
-1-
COMMISSION APPROVED THE MINUTES OF
THE REGULAR MEETING OF FRIDAY,
DECEMBER 3, 1993
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
3. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS
Claims Submitted December 17, 1993 for Approval
ADMIN 1993
Equipment Services
$ 19.97
Billie's Catering
37.50
South Bend Drafting
49.82
General Fund
77.62
Tri County News
37.77
Indiana Youth Institute
12.50
Code Enforcement
34.50
South Bend Tribune
24.96
York Title & Escrow, Inc.
316.00
Indiana Michigan Power Co.
9.11
South Bend Tribune
40.73
Peirce & Associates, Inc.
75.00
Mobile Comm
190.00
United Parcel Service
9.00
TOTAL
$ 934.48
S.B.C.D.A. TIF - GENERAL ACCOUNT (420
South Bend Public Transportation
$ 130, 864.00
Rick Walls
1,166.66
Jordan's Mishawaka Transfer, Inc.
29,902.17
H.J. Umbaugh & Associates
5,657.00
Economic Research Associates
5,000.00
Real Estate Management Corp.
1,194.28
South Bend Water Works
140.00
NIPSCO
342.22
Acrey Plumbing & Heating
6.95
Johnstone Supply
100.34
Ken Herceg & Associates
3,488.57
Indiana Michigan Power Co.
378.88
Howard Park Hardware
17.49
Joseph A. Dzierla & Associates
2,050.00
Leedy /Cripe Architects, P.C.
1,207.10
TOTAL
$ 181, 515.66
2
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
3. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS (Cont.)
SAMPLE -EWING DEVELOPMENT AREA (414)
Douglas L. Carpenter
Peirce & Associates, Inc.
Jerome E. Michaels
York Title & Escrow
Ken Herceg & Associates, Inc.
South Bend Water Works
TOTAL
HALL OF FAME (437)
National Football Foundation
Verkler, Inc.
Donna Lawrence Productions
TOTAL
GRAND TOTAL
. Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by Mr.
Faccenda and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Claims submitted
December 17, 1993.
4. COMMUNICATIONS
There were no Communications.
5. OLD BUSINESS
a. Commission approval requested for
Certificate of Completion for Disposition
Parcel 9B in the Sample - Ewing Development
Area. (McClurg Leasing)
Mrs. Kolata noted that at the December 3
meeting the staff was asked to review the
landscaping at the Wheel & Rim site to see if
they had fulfilled their obligations as
originally proposed. The staff has reviewed
-3-
$ 3,233.39
1,968.00
23,700.00
11,880.00
3,097.00
10.741.16
$ 54,619.55
$ 5,879.45
30,000.00
90, 802.84
$ 126,682.29
$ 363,751.98
COMMISSION APPROVED CLAIMS
SUBMITTED DECEMBER 17, 1993
THERE WERE NO COMMUNICATIONS
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
5. OLD BUSINESS (Cont.)
a. continued...
the landscaping and, although some of the
plants are small, they are what was approved.
There are a number of bushes that have been
cut back for the winter which also make the
site look bare. Also, the sidewalk has been
completed and the grading of the lot has been
done and trees were to be planted along Main
and Garst Street. The staff recommends
approving the Certificate of Completion.
Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by
Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Certificate of
Completion for Disposition Parcel 9B in the
Sample -Ewing Development Area. (McClurg
Leasing)
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Receipt of Bids for Disposition of Property in
the South Bend Central Development Area.
(611 S. Clinton)
Mrs. Kolata noted that as of 10:00 a.m. this
morning there were no bids received for this
parcel. The parcel was previously put up for
bid as a lease- purchase offering and the
Commission accepted an offer from Watseka
Theater Corporation. However, we would
now like to sell the property to Watseka
outright. Since there were no other bids, we
will proceed with the sale.
Mrs. Kolata asked permission to consider item
6.i. at this time. There was no objection and the
item was so considered.
-4-
COMMISSION APPROVED THE CERTIFICATE
OF COMPLETION FOR DISPOSITION PARCEL
9B IN THE SAMPLE -EWING DEVELOPMENT
AREA (MCCLURG LEASING)
CW South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
i. Commission approval requested for
Amendment to Contract with Economic
Research Associates.
Mr. Hunt noted that the Commission entered
into a contract with Economic Research
Associates approximately six weeks ago for
analysis of the location options for the
Studebaker Museum. They have performed
many interviews. However, we have asked
ERA to expand their report to include
analyzing the impact of the museum locating
outside of the downtown. The cost of the
additional work would increase the contract
from $5,000 to $9,000. The report is
expected to be ready within two weeks.
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded
by Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Amendment to
Contract with Economics Research
Associates.
Mrs. Kolata asked permission to consider items
6.f. and 6.g. next on the agenda. There was no
objection and the items were so moved.
f. Commission approval requested for
Resolution No. 1208 determining to pay
certain expenses incurred for local public
improvements in or serving the South Bend
Central Allocation Area (South Bend
Allocation Area No. IA) from the South
Bend Central Allocation Area (South Bend
Allocation Area No. 1A) Special Fund.
Mrs. Kolata explained that Resolution
No. 1208 proposes to appropriate $450,000
52
COMMISSION APPROVED THE AMENDMENT
TO CONTRACT WITH ECONOMICS
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
f. continued...
in 1994 to be used for local public
improvements in the South Bend Central
Development Area and sets a public hearing
on that appropriation for January 4, 1994 at
10:00 a.m. The amount of the appropriation
is based on the cash we currently have from
TIF funds in the area and on projected tax
proceeds after our other obligations from TIF
funds are met.
Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by
Mr. Faccenda and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved Resolution No. 1208
determining to pay certain expenses incurred
for local public improvements in or serving
the South Bend Central Allocation Area
(South Bend Allocation Area No. 1A) from
the South Bend Central Allocation Area
(South Bend Allocation Area No. IA) Special
Fund.
g. Commission approval requested for
Resolution No. 1209 determining to pay
certain expenses incurred for local publi c
improvements in or serving the Sample -
Ewing Allocation Area (South Bend
Allocation Area No. 8) from the Sample -
Ewing Allocation Area (South Bend
Allocation Area No. 8) Special Fund.
Mrs. Kolata noted that Resolution
No. 1209 proposes to appropriate $1,800,000
in 1994 to be used for local public
improvements in the Sample Ewing
Development Area and sets a public hearing
on that appropriation for January 4, 1994 at
10:00 a.m.
EM
COMMISSION APPROVED RESOLUTION NO.
1208 DETERMINING TO PAY CERTAIN
EXPENSES INCURRED FOR LOCAL PUBLIC
IMPROVEMENTS IN OR SERVING THE
SOUTH BEND CENTRAL ALLOCATION AREA
(SOUTH BEND ALLOCATION AREA NO. 1A)
FROM THE SOUTH BEND CENTRAL
ALLOCATION AREA (SOUTH BEND
ALLOCATION AREA NO. 1A) SPECIAL FUND
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
g. continued...
Mr. Sharp asked if there were identified
projects for these funds. Mrs. Kolata
responded that we are in the process of
putting together the budgets for these areas
now. The Sample -Ewing funds will be used
mostly for acquisition and relocation activities
in the area ordered by Michigan, High,
Sample and Broadway. We will use some of
the money for curb and sidewalk work as
well. The SBCDA funds will be used for
public improvements related to the reuse of
Central High School and other activities.
Upon a motion by Mr. Piasecki, seconded by
Mr. Faccenda and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved Resolution No. 1209
determining to pay certain expenses incurred
for local public improvements in the Sample -
Ewing Development Area and sets a public
hearing on that appropriation for January 4,
1994 at 10:00 a.m.
b. Filing of Resolution No. 1205 amending the
South Bend Central Development Area
Development Plan.
Mrs. Kolata noted that Resolution No. 1205
adds one parcel of property to the acquisition
list of the South Bend Central Development
Area Development Plan. The owner of
Design Packaging would like the Commission
to acquire that property at 600 N. Niles
Avenue. The public hearing on this
resolution will be January 4, 1994 at 10:00
a.m.
-7-
COMMISSION APPROVED RESOLUTION
NO. 1209 DETERMINING TO PAY CERTAIN
EXPENSES INCURRED FOR LOCAL PUBLIC
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SAMPLE -EWING
DEVELOPMENT AREA AND SETS A PUBLIC
HEARING ON THAT APPROPRIATION FOR
JANUARY 4, 1994 AT 10:00 A. M
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
b. continued...
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded
by Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried, the
Commission accepted Resolution No. 1205
for filing and set a public hearing for
January 4, 1994 on Resolution No. 1205.
c. Commission approval requested for
Resolution No. 1206 related to acquisition of
property in the Sample-Ewing Dpment
Area by Eminent Domain.
Mrs. Kolata explained that Resolution
No. 1206 approves the purchase price for
nineteen more properties in the Sample -
Ewing Development Area and authorizes the
use of eminent domain to acquire the
properties if we cannot come to agreement on
price. This brings the total number of
purchase offers authorized to 161.
Upon a motion by Mr. Piasecki, seconded by
Mr. Faccenda and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved Resolution No. 1206
related to acquisition of property in the
Sample -Ewing Development Area by Eminent
Domain.
d. Staff report on acquisition of propert y in the
Sample - Ewing Development Area.
Mrs. Kolata noted that we have received a
counter offer in the amount of $650 from
Elmo and Everett Bolinger for their property
at 208 E. Ohio. Our purchase offer was for
$488. The staff recommends accepting the
counter offer.
COMMISSION ACCEPTED RESOLUTION NO.
1205 FOR FILING AND SET A PUBLIC
HEARING FOR JANUARY 4, 1994 ON
RESOLUTION NO. 1205
COMMISSION APPROVED RESOLUTION NO.
1206 RELATED TO ACQUISITION OF
PROPERTY IN THE SAMPLE -EWING
DEVELOPMENT AREA BY EMINENT
DOMAIN
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
d. continued...
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded COMMISSION ACCEPTED THE COUNTER
by Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the OFFER IN THE AMOUNT OF $650 FROM
Commission accepted the counter offer in the ELMO AND EVERETT BOLINGER FOR
amount of $650 from Elmo and Everett PROPERTY LOCATED AT 208 E. OHIO
Bolinger for property located at 208 E. Ohio.
Mrs. Kolata noted that we have received a
counter offer in the amount of $21,000 from
Juanita Donaldson for her property at 218 E.
Ohio. Our purchase offer was for $19,250.
The staff recommends accepting the counter
offer.
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded
by Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the
Commission accepted the counter offer in the
amount of $21,000 from Juanita Donaldson
for property located at 218 E. Ohio.
Mrs. Kolata noted that we have received a
counter offer in the amount of $600 from
Juanita Donaldson for her property at 220 E.
Ohio. Our purchase offer was for $488. The
staff recommends accepting the counter offer.
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded
by Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the
Commission accepted the counter offer in the
amount of $600 from Juanita Donaldson for
property located at 220 E. Ohio.
Mrs. Kolata noted that we have received a
counter offer in the amount of $1,300 from
Charles and Esther Marsh for their property
at 129 E. Keasey. Our purchase offer was
for $1,013. The staff recommends accepting
the counter offer.
la
COMMISSION ACCEPTED THE COUNTER
OFFER IN THE AMOUNT OF $21,000 FROM
JUANITA DONALDSON FOR PROPERTY
LOCATED AT 218 E. OHIO
COMMISSION ACCEPTED THE COUNTER
OFFER IN THE AMOUNT OF $600 FROM
JUANITA DONALDSON FOR PROPERTY
LOCATED AT 220 E. OHIO
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
d. continued...
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded COMMISSION ACCEPTED THE COUNTER
by Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the OFFER IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,300 FROM
Commission accepted the counter offer in the CHARLES AND ESTHER MARSH FOR
amount of $1,300 from Charles and Esther PROPERTY LOCATED AT 129 E. KEASEY
Marsh for property located at 129 E. Keasey.
e. Commission approval requested for
Resolution No. 1207 designating the Sample -
Ewing Development Area, declaring the
Sample -Ewing Development Area to be
blighted, approving a development plan and
conditions under which relocation ,payments
will be made, and establishing an allocation
area for purposes of tax incremental
financing.
Mrs. Manier noted that the Commission
considered and approved Resolution
No. 1151 designating the Sample -Ewing
Development Area last spring. Further
review of those actions led to the discovery
of a procedural deficiency in the notice that
was published in the Tri- County News
concerning the public hearing. We have
determined that it is in our best interest to
repeat the declaratory process.
Mr. Magliozzi outlined the Development Plan
for the Sample -Ewing Development Area.
The plan is essentially the same as was
approved previously, except that it
incorporates the acquisition list that was
approved by later resolution.
The new redevelopment area combines two
existing redevelopment areas, the Studebaker
-10-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
e. continued...
Corridor Development Area and the Rum
Village Industrial Park, with adjacent
residential areas to their east to create the
Sample -Ewing Development Area. The new
development area is approximately 2,400
acres. It is sub - divided into five sub -areas
for planning purposes: the Rum Village
Industrial District, the Studebaker Corridor,
the Indiana - Sample Industrial Corridor, Rum
Village Neighborhood, and the Southeast
Neighborhood.
Mr. Magliozzi pointed out that this area is in
what was the historical industrial and
residential heart of South Bend. The
Southeast Neighborhood and the Rum Village
Neighborhood are among the oldest
neighborhoods in South Bend. They
originally housed the employees of the
businesses located in the large industrial
areas. The commercial areas along Indiana
Avenue and Main and Michigan Streets
developed logically between the workers
homes and their employment. With the
demise of Oliver Chilled Plow, Studebaker,
and White Farm, the neighborhoods declined
dramatically, especially the Southeast
Neighborhood. There has been a significant
drop in the number of housing units as well
as in the value of the housing.
With the decline in the neighborhoods, the
commercial area also declined. There are
many abandoned or under - utilized industrial
buildings in the Studebaker Corridor and the
Rum Village Industrial Park has never fully
-11-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
e. continued...
developed to its potential because of unstable
soil conditions in the area.
The transportation network in the area,
consisting of the major arterials
Michigan/Main Streets, Sample Street,
Ewing, and State Road 23, is a unifying
factor. It will be key to making this area
attractive for redevelopment. There is also
excellent railroad coverage in this area,
although much of it has been abandoned.
Mr. Magliozzi noted that there are several
impediments to development in these areas:
1) large vacant, abandoned buildings in the
Studebaker Corridor which must be torn
down; 2) the muck in the Rum Village
Industrial Park which must be removed to
make that land usable; 3) accelerated
neighborhood decline in the Southeast
Neighborhood; 4) the beginning of
deterioration in the Rum Village
Neighborhood which needs to be stopped;
and 5) the deteriorated commercial areas
along Indiana Avenue in particular.
The development plan has a three -fold
purpose: 1) to establish a vision and strategy
for redevelopment, revitalization,
improvement, and preservation of this area;
2) to merge two existing redevelopment areas
and tax incremental allocation areas; and 3)
to establish a framework for a detailed
planning program that involves the residents,
the businesses, the civic and institutional
partners for each of the sub -areas mentioned
earlier.
-12-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
e. continued...
We have outlined several strategies for
addressing the needs in this area. The public
sector must provide investment to be the
catalyst for redevelopment. Social,
economic, physical, and organizational issues
will be planned together. Public funds must
be leveraged to encourage private
development. There must be development of
private sector leadership.
The objectives of this project are: to increase
the tax base, increase investment in this area,
stabilize various sections of the area,
revitalize various sections, strengthen two of
the oldest neighborhoods in South Bend,
create a public private organizational network
that will help establish this area through time,
establish strong, unifying and structural urban
design guidelines, increase the level of
private investment, retain and increase jobs,
and generate funding sources.
Activities have been divided into two types:
fiscal and social/financial. The fiscal
activities include architectural, engineering,
survey, appraisal, soil testing, acquisition and
relocation, site clearance, site assemblage,
rehab, disposition, and public works. The
anticipated social/financial activities include
housing rehab, homeowner assistance,
business assistance, and job match assistance.
The five sub -areas have been subdivided into
sectors for planning purposes. The primary
goal for the north sector of the Southeast sub-
area is general redevelopment. There are
-13-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
e. continued...
very few homes left and IVY Tech, Parkview
Juvenile Center, the Family and Children's
Center, and the relocated Dean Johnson Park
will dominate that sector. The goal for the
central sector of the Southeast sub -area will
be revitalization of the neighborhood. There
is a high percentage of rental housing which
is a major cause of the residential
deterioration. The goal for the south sector
will be improvement, concentrating on urban
design. The South Bend Community School
Corporation plans to build a new Riley High
School in this sector.
The goal for three sectors of the Studebaker
Corridor /South Gateway sub -area will be
redevelopment. In the fourth sector we will
emphasize strengthening existing businesses.
The goal for the Rum Village Industrial
District sub -area will be demucking,
environmental testing, capitalizing on railroad
access and by -pass access to encourage
development, and improving Olive Road and
land use along Olive Road.
The goal for the Sample- Indiana Industrial
District will be to improve the edges where it
abuts residential areas or the downtown
through urban design and deal with the
environmental contamination that is likely
present there.
The goal for the Rum Village Neighborhood
sub -area is to stabilize it. Although this is
the better of the two neighborhoods, there are
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South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
e. continued...
some pockets of deterioration that should be
stopped before they spread.
Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by
Mr. Faccenda and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved Resolution No. 1207
designating the Sample -Ewing Development
Area, declaring the Sample -Ewing
Development Area to be blighted, approving
a development plan and conditions under
which relocation payments will be made, and
establishing an allocation area for purposes of
tax incremental financing.
Adfth h. Commission approval requested for
Resolution No. 1212 accepting the transfer of
real property from the City of South Bend.
Mrs. Kolata explained that Resolution
No. 1212 agrees to accept the transfer of
seventeen lots within the southeast
neighborhood that are currently owned by the
City of South Bend. The Board of Public
Works will consider a similar resolution on
December 20. There are other publicly
owned lots in the area which we intend to
have transferred to the Commission, but there
is not clear title on them at this time.
Upon a motion by Mr. Piasecki, seconded by
Mr. Faccenda and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved Resolution No. 1212
accepting the transfer of real property from
the City of South Bend.
-15-
COMMISSION APPROVED RESOLUTION
NO. 1207 DESIGNATING THE SAMPLE -
EWING DEVELOPMENT AREA, DECLARING
THE SAMPLE -EWING DEVELOPMENT AREA
TO BE BLIGHTED, APPROVING A
DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND CONDITIONS
UNDER WHICH RELOCATION PAYMENTS
WILL BE MADE, AND ESTABLISHING AN
ALLOCATION AREA FOR PURPOSES OF TAX
INCREMENTAL FINANCING
COMMISSION APPROVED RESOLUTION NO.
1212 ACCEPTING THE TRANSFER OF REAL
PROPERTY FROM THE CITY OF SOUTH
BEND
AFPN
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
Commission approval requested for Proposal
from Ken Herceg & Associates for
Professional Services in the South Bend
Central Development Area. (State Theater)
Mrs. Kolata noted that before the
Commission sold the State Theater we had
hired Ken Herceg to design a fire escape.
The owner would like a different design and
we have asked Ken Herceg to submit a
proposal for the additional work and make
several inspections during installation. The
total fee would not exceed $5,000. The staff
recommends accepting the proposal.
Upon a motion by Mr. Piasecki, seconded by
Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Proposal from Ken
Herceg & Associates in an amount not to
exceed $5,000 for professional services
related to the redesign of a fire escape for the
State Theater.
k. Commission approval requested for Easement
for Indiana Michigan Power Company related
to Stephenson Mill Apartments in the South
Bend Central Development Area.
Mrs. Kolata explained that this easement will
allow I & M to hook up electricity to the
building. The Commission retained
ownership of the surrounding property when
the Alexander Company bought the Opelika
Building. So the easement would cross
Commission property.
-16-
COMMISSION APPROVED THE PROPOSAL
FROM KEN HERCEG & ASSOCIATES IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5,000 FOR
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE
REDESIGN OF A FIRE ESCAPE FOR THE
STATE THEATER
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
k. continued...
Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by
Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Easement for
Indiana Michigan Power Company related to
Stephenson Mill Apartments in the South
Bend Central Development Area.
1. Commission consideration and action on
donation of real property in the South Bend
Central Development Area. (Driesbach
Building)
Ms. Kolata noted that Tom Driesbach offered
to donate their former dealership property to
the Commission. The property is 3/4 of a
block along the east side of Michigan Street
south of South Street. It includes the
dealership building and two smaller
structures. Besides offering the property to
the Commission, they agree to have the fuel
oil tanks removed at their expense. In
return, they are asking that any unpaid taxes
be paid by the City and that the Commission
retain ownership of the building for at least
two years.
Mrs. Kolata noted that the staff recommends
accepting the donation. This is an important
block in an area where we have been doing
some planning.
COMMISSION APPROVED THE EASEMENT
FOR INDIANA MICHIGAN POWER COMPANY
RELATED TO STEPHENSON MILL
APARTMENTS IN THE SOUTH BEND
CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT AREA
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded COMMISSION ACCEPTED DONATION OF
by Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the THE DRIESBACH PROPERTY AND BUILDING
Commission accepted donation of the IN THE SOUTH BEND CENTRAL
Driesbach property and building in the South DEVELOPMENT AREA
Bend Central Development Area.
-17-
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
m. Commission approval requested for
Certificate of Completion for property in the
Airport Economic Development Area.
(Gainey Realty & Investments)
Mrs. Kolata noted that the Commission sold
a small piece of land to Gainey Realty to be
used in conjunction with their present
location to expand their business. The
project is complete and looks very nice. The
staff recommends approving the Certificate of
Completion.
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded
by Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Certificate of
Completion for property in the Airport
Economic Development Area. (Gainey
Realty & Investments)
COMMISSION APPROVED CERTIFICATE OF
COMPLETION FOR PROPERTY IN THE
AIRPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AREA
n. Commission approval requested for Proposal
for Property Management Services from
Holladay Corporation for 414 W. Sample in
the Sample -Ewing Development Area.
Mrs. Kolata explained that the building at
414 W. Sample was previously owned by
Corridor Properties. The Commission has
recently acquired the 160,000 square foot
building that has about five tenants. It has
some major maintenance problems that need
to be addressed for the tenants until we get
the tenants to relocate. We would like to
hire Holladay Corporation on a month -to-
month basis to take care of the property
management duties. Their cost for these
services is $1,200 per month plus an hourly
rate for any of their maintenance staff who
on
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
n. continued...
do the repairs. We will reevaluate the
$1,200 per month charge after a three month
period.
Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by
Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Proposal for
Property Management Services with Holladay
Corporation.
o. Commission approval requested for
Certificate of Waiver for property located at
1014 N. Eddy in connection with the Rental
Rehab Pro ra .
Mrs. Kolata noted that under the Rental
Rehab Program 10 % of a loan is forgiven
each year if the conditions of the program are
met. This Certificate of Waiver forgives
$789.00 as of August 30, 1993.
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded
by Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Certificate of
Waiver in the amount of $789.00 as of
August 30, 1993 for property located at 1014
N. Eddy Street.
p. Commission approval requested for
Subordination Agreement with Valley
American Bank & Trust for property located
at 313 E. Ewing. (George Athens)
Mrs. Kolata explained that the Commission
currently has a mortgage in the amount of
$9,900 with George Athens. That loan
-19-
COMMISSION APPROVED THE PROPOSAL
FOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SERVICES
WITH HOLLADAY CORPORATION
COMMISSION APPROVED THE CERTIFICATE
OF WAIVER IN THE AMOUNT OF $789.00 AS
OF AUGUST 30, 1993 FOR PROPERTY
LOCATED AT 1014 N. EDDY STREET
JW South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
p. continued...
waspreviously suborinated to a first
mortgage. As part of the refinancing to a
larger mortgage, we are being asked to
subordinate our mortgage again. Our loan
will be in the same position it was in before
the refinancing.
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded
by Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the Subordination
Agreement with Valley American Bank &
Trust for property located at 313 E. Ewing.
(George Athens)
q. Commission approval requested for Loan in
connection with the West Washin on- Chapin
Loan Program for property located at 616 -
618 W. Lasalle. (Theresa A. Williamson)
Mrs. Kolata noted that the loan is a 20 year
loan in the amount of $15,800 at 3 % interest.
Payments will be $87.63 per month.
Upon a motion by Mr. Piasecki, seconded by
Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the $15,800 loan in
connection with the West Washington - Chapin
Loan Program for property located at 618
W. LaSalle. (Theresa A. Williamson)
-20-
COMMISSION APPROVED THE
SUBORDINATION AGREEMENT WITH
VALLEY AMERICAN BANK & TRUST FOR
PROPERTY LOCATED AT 313 E. EWING.
(GEORGE ATHENS)
COMMISSION APPROVED THE $15,800 LOAN
IN CONNECTION WITH THE WEST
WASHINGTON - CHAPIN LOAN PROGRAM
FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 618 W.
LASALLE (THERESA A. WILLIAMSON)
Alf
South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.)
r. Commission approval requested for Loan in
connection with the West Washin on- Chapin
Loan Program for property located at 226
Laurel Street. ( Essie Mae Meadows)
Mrs. Kolata noted that this is a $20,000 loan
at 0% for 20 years. Payments will be $83.33
per month. The work to be done at this
location will cost about $25,000, so
approximately $5,000 will be a grant.
Upon a motion by Mr. Piasecki, seconded by
Mr. Faccenda and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the $20,000 loan in
connection with the West Washington - Chapin
Loan Program for property located at 226
Laurel Street. (Elsie Mae Meadows)
s. Commission approval requested for Loan in
connection with the West Washington-Chapin
Loan Program for property located at 111
Laurel Street. (John W. Shockey)
Mrs. Kolata noted that this is a $60,000 loan
at 3 % interest for 30 years. Payments will
be $252.96 per month. This loan includes
approximately $35,000 for the refinancing of
a land contract.
Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded
by Mr. Piasecki and unanimously carried, the
Commission approved the $60,000 loan in
connection with the West Washington - Chapin
Loan Program for property located at 111
Laurel Street. (John W. Shockey)
-21-
COMMISSION APPROVED THE $20,000 LOAN
IN CONNECTION WITH THE WEST
WASHINGTON - CHAPIN LOAN PROGRAM
FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 226 LAUREL
STREET. (ESSIE MAE MEADOWS)
COMMISSION APPROVED THE $60,000 LOAN
IN CONNECTION WITH THE WEST
WASHINGTON - CHAPIN LOAN PROGRAM
FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 111 LAUREL
STREET. (JOHN W. SHOCKEY)
IL South Bend Redevelopment Commission
Regular Meeting - December 17, 1993
7. PROGRESS REPORTS
Ms. Julie Ludwig introduced herself as a new
member of The Colfax Group.
Mr. Trevino inquired about a counter offer he had PROGRESS REPORTS
brought in on December 16. He had expected it
to be considered at the Commission meeting.
Mrs. Kolata explained that the staff discussed
some counter offers which were not presented to
the Commission for consideration. Gabriel
Okafor will meet with Mr. Trevino following the
meeting.
8. NEXT COMMISSION MEETING
The next meeting of the Commission will be its NEXT COMMISSION MEETING
Annual Organizational Meeting scheduled for
Adw January 4, 1994 at 10:00 a.m. at which time the
Commission will hold a Rescheduled Regular
Meeting also.
9. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before ADJOURNMENT
the Commission, Mr. Piasecki made a motion that
the meeting be adjourned. Mr. Faccenda
seconded the motion and the meeting was
adjourned at 11:07 a.m.
�l
Paula N. Auburn, President E: Kolata, Director
-22-