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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSM 11-15-93SOUTH BEND REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING November 15, 1993 4:00 p.m.. Presiding: Roman J. Piasecki Vice- President I. ROLL CALL 1308 County -City Building 227 W. Jefferson Boulevard South Bend, Indiana Members Present: Mr. Roman J. Piasecki, Vice- President Mr. Theo F. Sharp, Secretary Mr. Michael Donoho Mr. Philip Faccenda Members Absent: Legal Counsel: Redevelopment Staff: Bureau of Housing Staff: Media: Ms. Paula N. Auburn, President Ms. Jenny Pitts Manier Mrs. Ann Kolata, Director Mrs. Cheryl Phipps, Recording Secretary Ms. Mary Richmond Mr. Thom Howell, U -93 Mr. Don Porter, South Bend Tribune Others: Mr. Kevin Horton, Controller Mr. Jon Williams, Community Affairs Mr. Brian Hedman, Century Center Ms. Susan Visser, South Bend Museum of Art Mr. Mike Claytor, Municipal Consultants Mr. Mike Seitz, Chamber of Commerce Ms. Marijo Martinek, Convention & Visitors Bureau Ms. Kate Mulherin, Convention & Visitors Bureau Ms. Mikki Dobski Mr. Richard Hill, Baker & Daniels Mr John Sejdinag, First Chicago Capital Markets Mr. Mark Tamer, Near Westside Neighborhood Mr. Carter Wolf, Center City Associates c , South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a Anoroval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of Friday, November 5. 1993. Mr. Donoho noted that page 6 had an error, stating that capitalized interest for the Century Center bond was $600,000 million. It should be corrected to read $600,000. Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by Mr. Donoho and unanimously carried, the Commission approved the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of Friday, November 5, 1993, as corrected. 3. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS Claims Submitted November 15, 1993 for Approval ADMIN 1993 Petty Cash Osco Drug South Bend Tribune Tri County News St. Joseph County Recorder St. Joseph County Auditor Gene's Camera Store Equipment Services American Planning Association Urban Land Institute Plastimatic Arts Corp. East Race Printing TOTAL S.B.C.D.A. TIF - GENERAL ACCOUNT (420) Ampco Parking Envirocorp Services & Technology, Inc. TOTAL -2- COMMISSION APPROVED THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1993, AS CORRECTED $ 105.00 14.68 41.02 61.63 43.00 14.00 35.00 22.44 134.00 30.95 8.00 27.50 $ 537.22 $ 8,248.01 500.00 $ 8,748.01 South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 3. APPROVAL OF CLAIMS (Cont.) SAMPLE -EWING DEVELOPMENT AREA (414) Douglas Carpenter Huma Appraisals Huma Appraisals Al Kapitan TOTAL REDEVELOPMENT GENERAL ACCT. (433) Lafree Excavating, Inc. Holle & Associates TOTAL STUDEBAKER CORRIDOR (423) EIS Environmental Engineers Inc. TOTAL GRAND TOTAL 4. COMMUNICATIONS There were three Communications, letters of support for the Public Hearing. They will be introduced during the Public Hearing. 5. OLD BUSINESS There was no Old Business. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Public Hearing on Resolution No. 1199 authorizing the execution of a Lease for certain public improvements on behalf of the Citv of South Bend and reeardine other related matters. Mrs. Kolata asked that the affidavits from the Tri- County News and the South Bend -3- $ 1,333.36 1,900.00 2,890.00 3.300.00 $ 9,423.36 $ 5,388.30 1,495.10 $ 6,883.40 $ 7,305.41 $ 7,305.41 $ 32,897.40 COMMUNICATIONS THERE WAS NO OLD BUSINESS South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... Tribune, stating that the Notice of Public Hearing was printed on November 5, 19931 be made part of the official record. There was no objection and they were so entered. Mr. Horton explained that we are proposing a bond issue to make improvements in the downtown: 1) construction of a 58,000 square foot College Football Hall of Fame; and 2) repairs and renovation of Century Center, including new exhibit space; 3) a tunnel connecting Century Center to the Hall of Fame under St. Joseph Street. He noted that this will be a single bond issue with two components. Each component, Century Center and the Hall of Fame, will have its own pro rated cost of issuance and underwriters discount and each will be supported by a separate revenue stream. The size of the Century Center bond will be approximately $6,300,000 plus investment earnings of approximately $100,000. Of that amount, approximately $3,200,000 will be used to defease the existing bond on Century Center. Improvements to Century Center will cost $2,600,000. Capitalized interest and costs of issuance bring the total uses to $6,400,000. Mr. Horton noted that Century Center will be conveyed from the Civic Center Building Authority to the Redevelopment Authority. The reason for this conveyance is that the Civic Center Building Authority has no power to use tax money for improvements. -4- South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... The Redevelopment Authority is designed to deal with economic development projects through leases with the Redevelopment Commission. The Redevelopment Authority would use $3,200,000 of this bond to pay the Civic Center Building Authority so it can pay of the existing bond. Simultaneously, Century Center will be conveyed to the Redevelopment Authority. Mr. Horton explained that, for the Hall of Fame component of the bond, bond proceeds will be approximately $15,400,000. Investment earnings will be approximately $300,000. Of that $15,700,00 total, $14,000,000 will be used for the construction of the Hall of Fame, $700,000 will be used for public improvements, including the tunnel connecting the two facilities, and the remainder will be used for capitalized interest and costs of issuance. The total bond issue, therefore, will be approximately $21,821,000, plus investment earnings of approximately $335,000, for a total available amount of $22,156,000. Mr. Horton then explained the revenue streams for repayment of the bonds. The City currently has a lease obligation of $496,000 per year on the Century Center bonds that runs out in the year 2004. Of that, the Hotel Motel Tax Board contributes $150,000 and the School Corporation contributes $50,000, leaving the City with a net annual investment of $296,000 per year -5- South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... on the existing Century Center bond. Instead of increasing the yearly cost, the City is willing to extend the current yearly payment an additional ten years, to the year 2014. That would give Century Center $2,600,000 to spend on improvements. Approximately $42,000 of TIF per year will be needed for the Century Center portion of the bond. Municipal Consultants has conservatively projected the TIF revenues out to 2019, assuming no new development, to show that is would be possible to pay for the new bond costs from TIF. Using those projections, the Hall of Fame portion of the bond was structured to require no more than the TIF available after TIF was used to pay for the Century Center shortfall. Mr. Horton explained that under a conservative scenario, we expect to be able to pay off the $14,000,000 Hall of Fame portion of the bond with corporate donations of at least $2,000,000 per year for seven years. However, in order to have a marketable bond, we are structuring it as though it would be paid from TIF, an A rated, South Bend tax exempt issue. In this way, we will get the best interest rate and terms for the bond in the market. Also, this method will ensure that the city will never need to levy a tax to make the lease payment if the donations don't come in as promised —there would be tax increment available. I" South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... Mr. Horton explained the technical nature of the transactions which will take place. The City of South Bend will sell Century Center to the Redevelopment Authority. The money from the Redevelopment Authority will come back through the City of South Bend, who actually has a purchase option on Century Center, the City will exercise the purchase option and refund the old bonds. The support for the new bonds will be a Lease to the Redevelopment Commission which will sublease the facilities to the City of South Bend which will have two separate subleases: one for Century Center and one for the Hall of Fame. The separate subleases will assure the integrity of the repayment —the Century Center sublease will be consistent with what is required to amortize its portion of the bond, as will the sublease for the Hall of Fame. Mr. Horton summarized the benefits to be achieved through this bond issue: a new Hall of Fame, a new owner for Century Center, improvements to Century Center, and lower costs of bond issuance. Mr. Horton noted that the revenues that the Hall of Fame are expected to generate were not included in the revenue stream to repay the bonds. The City prefers to put this money into a capital improvement account or an operating reserve for the Hall of Fame. Mrs. Kolata noted that this project is a redevelopment and an economic development -7- South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... project. The Redevelopment Commission is involved because of the potential these projects have in redeveloping the downtown and to spur other development in the area. These projects are consistent with the overall development plan for the South Bend Central Development Area. Mrs. Kolata noted that the Lease that is being considered for approval calls for semi - annual rental payments for each of the two portions of the project. The Century Center portion has a maximum semi - annual payment of $300,000. The Hall of Fame portion starts out with semi - annual payments of $660,000. From the year 2005 on, the maximum semi- annual payment is increased to $1,600,000. Mrs. Kolata noted that by approving the Lease at this time, the bond process can move forward so that bond proceeds would be available in the spring for construction. However, the City is not in a position at this time to disclose its sponsorships and pledges for the Hall of Fame. It is the City's intention to come back to the Commission and to the Common Council with a report on the sponsorships and pledges in February. At that time the Commission and Council will make a recommendation to the Authority to issue the bonds. Mr. Piasecki opened the Public Hearing for PUBLIC HEARING ON RESOLUTION NO. 1199 whoever wished to be heard. He asked for comments in support of the resolution first. In ;+ South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... GRANVILLE CLEVELAND: I am Assistant Law Librarian Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. I've got two comments. I don't want to take too much time. When Coveleski Stadium was being built and Mayor Parent had that vision of how Coveleski Stadium would work, there was a lot of opposition about it. As a matter of fact, I was one of the ones who said it's not going to work. It'll take tax money out of my pocket. It'll be a mess. Nobody will go to it. Everything is going to be terrible. Well, I apologize to Mayor Parent and to his committee for my public appearance about that whole thing. I apologize and I wish somebody here would take that message to him. Once again we have an opportunity, and there is some opposition out there, to uplift South Bend with a major, major thing —the College Football Hall of Fame. As being Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, I still get a chance to go around the country and talk to students who want to come to Notre Dame, be part of the Notre Dame mystique, etc. One of the things they say to me as we talk is, "South Bend, Indiana. That's where the College Football Hall of Fame is going to be." I say, "Yes, how do you know that ?" They say their coach who gives them motivational talks says that if you ever, all of you who are here, could one day be in South Bend, Indiana, to the College Hall of Fame... I say, "That's right!" I stick my chest out and say, "I have a lot to do with that. " I want to take credit for that, too. 91 South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... Ladies and gentlemen, I want to say to you, how can this not work? When you have colleges all over the country who tell their young men who are thinking about playing football and being All American and being all they can be, these coaches tell them, "One day you could be in South Bend, Indiana, and part of that College Football Hall of Fame. Let me say this to you. Again, I apologize to Mayor Parent and his committee for my negativeness about Coveleski Stadium. But I have grown. It's like the old saying, "as you get older, you get wiser. " I want to thank South Bend's community for helping me grow. The second thing is that when I came here twenty -six years ago, I came from Springfield, Ohio, which sat right in the middle of Columbus and Dayton. So, three or four years later, I was telling people who asked how I liked it here, that I exist here and draw my check from Notre Dame, but I can always go "home" and hang my hat. Well, let me tell you, as we grow we get wiser. Now, not only do I exist here in South Bend, Indiana, I can take my hat off and hang it up here. Thank you very much for helping me grow. MARK TARNER: I am president of the Near Westside Neighborhood Organization. If you'll look to your left or your right, this area represents where our members live. We're very interested in redevelopment. You came to talk to our group about a month ago -10- South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... about the Hall of Fame. I was shocked when last month we approved a donation to the Hall of Fame. It's because people feel, in our neighborhood, that this can lead to jobs. Jobs might solve some of the problems in this community. In our neighborhood, specifically, the largest employer is Tippecanoe Place. They employ between 80 and 90 people, full and part time. The second largest employer is the history museum, employing 50 people. Both of those institutions depend on tourism. We also have three small inns in the neighborhood. There could be more. We see it as a positive action —maybe something that could lead to some retail development downtown so old and young people could shop downtown. Thank you. MIKE SEITZ: I'm Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce. Today I'm here on behalf of Steve Queior, our President, and our Board of Directors to speak in favor of the bond issue. We see this as a catalyst for economic development in the downtown area. We see this as an increase in tourism and as an overall fantastic program for the community. I can remember opposition to the building of Elbel Golf Course and the bond issue for Potowatomi Zoo, Stanley Coveleski Stadium, and the East Race, and all the negative attitudes towards those fine projects and just look what attributes those are to the community today. Just think of the quality of life enhancement that will be brought to the community. It'll really put -11- South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... South Bend back on the map. We're really enthusiastic and hope that you pass this resolution. MARY JO MARTINEK: I'm from the Convention and Visitors Bureau. I'm here on behalf of Marge Filchak, the Executive Director of the Bureau. She was unable to attend today because she is in London, England, promoting South Bend to international tour operators. I'd like to read her letter. November 15, 1993 Open letter to the Redevelopment Commissioners: The opening of the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown South Bend will allow the community to attract a greater number of visitors to the area. We must offer potential visitors an array of attractions to entice them into the community and encourage their overnight stay. With the casinos that will eventually be built in the communities to our west and their potential draw, it becomes even more imperative that this community stay competitive. The College Football Hall of Fame will allow us to do so. In 1992 visitors to our area spent an estimated $239, 000, 000. If this financial impact is going to continue to be realized, -12- APIN South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... we must do more than maintain; we must grow. We at the CVB believe that we can greatly increase the economic impact on the area if the College Football Hall of Fame is built. We strongly encourage the ground breaking to take place at the earliest possible time. We remain committed to its success. Sincerely, Margaret FUchak Executive Director CARTER WOLF: I'm Executive Director of Center City Associates. I hope that Mark, who owns a candy company, can also come up with a new candy for this like we have for Notre Dame. If we haven't shown the world, over the weekend, that we're the center of college football, that this is the right place for this hall of fame, I don't know what else we have to show them. I think those of us who are in this room already believe that. Our board of directors voted unanimously to support this from the point of view of economic development and the downtown businesses. It may sound selfish, but we are the center of the community and a part of the community, not separate from the community. I think as we think of community, we've got to keep this in mind. I think we're lucky, sitting here talking about a very proactive project when I listen to all the casino arguments in the last couple of months, listening to cities talk out of desperation, as their only hope. We don't have to come to this because this is -13- South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) a. continued... proactive, not defensive. I think we're lucky to be in this situation. Mr. Piasecki asked if there was anyone who wished to speak in opposition to Resolution No. 1199. There was no one who wished to speak. Mr. Piasecki closed the Public Hearing for whatever action the Commission desired to take. Mrs. Kolata noted that, in addition to the letter from Marge Filchak which was read, letters were also received in support of Resolution No. 1199 from Steve Queior, President of the Chamber of Commerce, and from Karl King III, President of the Century Center Board of Managers. The letters are attached to these Minutes. Mrs. Kolata noted that Resolution No. 1199 authorizes the execution of the Lease, finds that the renal payments to be made are fair and reasonable, and it authorizes the secretary to forward a copy of the executed resolution to the Common Council as it considers approving the form of Lease. The resolution also ratifies action taken previously to file the ordinance with the Common Council and to file a petition with the State Board of Tax Commissioners. b. Commission approval requested for Resolution No. 1199. Upon a motion by Mr. Faccenda, seconded by Mr. Donoho and unanimously carried, the Commission approved Resolution No. 1199. -14- COMMISSION APPROVED RESOLUTION NO. 1199 South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) c. Commission approval requested for Resolution No. 1201 related to acquisition of property in the Sample -Ewing Development Area by Eminent Domain. Mrs. Kolata noted that this resolution is similar to two other resolutions that were previously adopted. It authorizes the sending of purchase offers for another eight properties within the Sample -Ewing Development Area. That brings the total of authorized purchase offers to 67. It does allow the use of condemnation procedures if the offers are not accepted within 30 days. Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by Mr. Donoho and unanimously carried, the Commission approved Resolution No. 1201 related to acquisition of property in the Sample -Ewing Development Area by Eminent Domain. d. Commission approval requested for loan in connection with the Roof Loan Program for property located at 1009 E. Milton. (Margaret Jamison) Mrs. Kolata noted that a memo from Kathy Baumgartner, explaining the Roof Loan Program, is attached to these requests. In the past, the Bureau of Housing has operated an Emergency Repair Program. One of the main features of that was roof repair. Under that program, any roof leak received a totally new roof. Now, the Emergency Repair Program is doing only patches of the immediate problem area. However, there are many people out there who need new roofs, -15- COMMISSION APPROVED RESOLUTION NO. 1201 RELATED TO ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY IN THE SAMPLE -EWING DEVELOPMENT AREA BY EMINENT DOMAIN South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) d. continued... but may not have the money for the project. The Roof Loan Program offers a flexible loan program to make roof replacement possible to low income people. All loans under this program will be secured by a mortgage. Mrs. Kolata noted that the loan to Margaret Jamison is in the amount of $4650, to be repaid over a ten year period with a monthly payment of $40.25. The loans are at 0% interest. Upon a motion by Mr. Donoho, seconded by Mr. Sharp and unanimously carried, the Commission approved the loan in the amount of $4650 in connection with the Roof Loan Program for property located at 1009 E. Milton. (Margaret Jamison) e. Commission approval requested for loan in connection with the Roof Loan Program for property located at 1337 E. Miner. (Joe Latting) Mrs. Kolata noted that the loan to Joe Latting is in the amount of $3600, to be paid over 164 months. The monthly payment is $23.05. Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by Mr. Donoho and unanimously carried, the Commission approved the loan in the amount of $3600 in connection with the Roof Loan Program for property located at 1337 E. Miner. (Joe Latting) -16- COMMISSION APPROVED THE LOAN IN THE AMOUNT OF $4650 IN CONNECTION WITH THE ROOF LOAN PROGRAM FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1009 E. MILTON. (MARGARET JAMISON) COMMISSION APPROVED THE LOAN IN THE AMOUNT OF $3600 IN CONNECTION WITH THE ROOF LOAN PROGRAM FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1337 E. MINER. (JOE LATTING) South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 6. NEW BUSINESS (Cont.) f. Commission approval requested for loan in connection with the Roof Loan Program for propg y located at 2005 W. Kenwood. (William & Eliza Jenkins) Mrs. Kolata noted that this loan is in the amount of $8,300 for 18 years. Monthly payments are $39.26. Ms. Richmond noted that this loan is especially large because the water damage to the house rotted beams and they need to be replaced. Upon a motion by Mr. Sharp, seconded by Mr. Donoho and unanimously carried, the Commission approved the loan in the amount of $8,300 in connection with the Roof Loan Program for property located at 2005 W. Kenwood. (William & Eliza Jenkins) 7. PROGRESS REPORTS COMMISSION APPROVED THE LOAN IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,300 IN CONNECTION WITH THE ROOF LOAN PROGRAM FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2005 W. KENWOOD. (WILLIAM & ELIZA JENKINS) Mrs. Kolata reported that John Stark joined the PROGRESS REPORTS Redevelopment staff today. He graduated from Western Kentucky with a degree in Planning. He will be helping with planning and acquisition in the Sample -Ewing Development Area. 8. NEXT COMMISSION MEETING Mrs. Kolata noted that the Regular Meeting of the NEXT COMMISSION MEETING Commission scheduled for November 19 has been cancelled. The next meeting of the Commission will be its Regular Meeting on December 3, 1993 at 10:00 a.m. -17- South Bend Redevelopment Commission Special Meeting - November 15, 1993 9. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Commission, Mr. Sharp made a motion that the meeting be adjourned. Mr. Donoho seconded the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 4:52 p.m. L"-'� ADJOURNMENT Paula N. Auburn, President Anne. Kolata, Director Century Center The Excitement of the Century November 15, 1993 Paula Auburn President Redevelopment Commission 12th Floor /County City Bldg. South Bend, IN 46601 Dear President Auburn: Century Center, South Bend's highly successful convention and cultural center, acclaimed for its excellence in architecture and service offering to the public, has just commenced its seventeenth year of operation. Scrupulous effort has been expended throughout these years to ensure the proper maintenance thus enabling the Center to fulfill its mission: that is to be a state -of- the -art regional convention and cultural center which enhances the community's quality of life and economic development. Century Center must replace its roofs given their age and the variety of weather extremes they face. Additionally, as the Center becomes busier, positively impacting the economic well -being of the community, enhancements to its exhibition offerings and pedestrian traffic routing within the Center become most important. Hence, the proposed bond would finance many of the Center's much needed improvements such as: replacement of roofs; creation of additional exhibition area from existing, under - utilized space; provision of an additional staircase for the public; the addition of movable panels for sound and visual control for the movement of the public; provision for pedestrian traffic to and from the proposed College Football Hall of Fame; and enhancements to the Center's facilities housing the South Bend Regional Museum of Art. The Century Center Board unanimously brings the project to your attention. Your support and approval of the bond will enable the Century Center to continue its quest to serve South Bend, the region, and, indeed, the State of Indiana, well. Thank rl King rII esident ntury Center KK:pp of Managers 120 South Saint Joseph Street South Bend, Indiana 46601 (219) 235 -9711 Fax (219) 235 -9185 TDD (219) 235 -5567 1 JA � THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE of St. Joseph County November 15, 1993 Dear Redevelopment Commissioners: On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County, I am writing to impart our enthusiastic support of the College Football Hall of Fame and the related funding mechanisms you are now considering. The Chamber represents 1,600 member employers, and I assure you that we look at this project and the necessary funding tools to make it a reality as very important business, community, and economic development initiatives. We see the Hall as an important capital project which will stimulate future growth in the central business district. Also, we see the project being an important stimulus to the continued and even stronger growth and success of Century Center, the county's primary convention and civic facility. We are excited about the Hall of Fame, not only for its obvious positive impact on job creation, increased spending, impact on the tourism and associated hospitality industries, but also for the quality of life benefits it will yield for our local citizens. This project will be another addition to our current variety of museums and attractions in the area. The critical mass of attractions and points of interest this helps to create is necessary in the current environment of extreme competition between communities, and is sure to strengthen the local economy now and for a long time to come. In my contacts around the country, there are not that many announcements of this magnitude. Hundreds of other communities would love to have a project of this national scope, have the positive publicity, have the traffic generated, and have the opportunity to showcase their area. These are the reasons the Chamber of Commerce is very supportive of moving forward with your commission's key approval, and with the final completion of the entire project. Thank you for your consideration of our support for Hall of Fame/Century Center bond issuance. Sincerely, Stephen M. Queior, President SMQ /sec redev.ltr �7 CCE Commerce Center 1 401 E. Colfax Ave., Suite 310 1 P.O. Box 1677 1 South Bend, Indiana 46634 -1677 1 (219) 234 -0051 1 FAX (219) 289 -0358 South Bend 1 Mishawaka 1 Granges 1 Lakeville 1 New Carlisle 1 North Liberty 1 Osceola 1 Roseland 1 Walkerton THE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU of South Bend /Mishawaka A DIVISION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY November 15, 1993 Open letter to the Redevelopment Commissioners: The opening of the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown South Bend will allow the community to attract a greater number of visitors to the area. We must offer potential visitors an array of attractions to entice them into the community and encourage their overnight stay. With the casinos that will eventually be built in the communities to our west and their potential draw, it becomes even more imperative that this community stay competitive. The College Football Hall of Fame will allow us to do so. AOKI In 1992 visitors to our area spent an estimated $239,000,000. If this financial impact is going to continue to be realized, we must do more than maintain; we must grow. We at the CVB believe that we can greatly increase the economic impact on the area if the College Football Hall of Fame is built. We strongly encourage the ground breaking to take place at the earliest possible time. We remain committed to its success. Sincerely, Margaret Filchak Executive Director Commerce Center 1 401 E. Colfax Ave., Suite 310 1 P.O. Box 1677 1 South Bend, Indiana 46634 -1677 1 (219) 234 -0079 1 FAX (219) 289 -0358 South Bend 1 Mishawaka 1 Granger 1 Lakeville 1 New Carlisle 1 North Liberty 1 Osceola 1 Roseland 1 Walkerton