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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5B1 Development Agreement (Claeys Candy)1 DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT This Development Agreement (this “Agreement”), is effective as of April 14, 2022 (the “Effective Date”), by and between the City of South Bend, Department of Redevelopment, acting by and through its governing body, the South Bend Redevelopment Commission (the “Commission”), and Claeys Candy Inc., an Indiana corporation (“Claeys”), and GFC Holdings LLC, an Indiana limited liability company (“GFC”), both with an address at 525 S Taylor Street, South Bend, Indiana 46634 (together, Claeys and GFC are the “Developer”) (each, a “Party,” and collectively, the “Parties”). RECITALS WHEREAS, the Commission exists and operates under the provisions of the Redevelopment of Cities and Towns Act of 1953, as amended (I.C. 36-7-14 et seq., the “Act”); and WHEREAS, the Act provides that the clearance, replanning, and redevelopment of redevelopment areas are public uses and purposes for which public money may be spent; and WHEREAS, GFC owns certain real property described in Exhibit A, together with all improvements thereon and all easements, rights, licenses, and other interests appurtenant thereto (collectively, the “Developer Property”); and WHEREAS, the Developer currently has private financing and desires to construct a new facility on the Developer Property (the “Project”); and WHEREAS, the Developer Property is located within the corporate boundaries of the City of South Bend, Indiana (the “City”), within the River West Development Area (the “Area”); and WHEREAS, the Commission has adopted (and subsequently amended, from time to time) a development plan, which contemplates development of the Area consistent with the Project; and WHEREAS, in order to develop the Developer Property as required by the Project and to ensure system capacity for the Area, a larger utility main pipeline for gas services is required; and WHEREAS, construction of a larger main pipeline for gas services will serve to advance the purposes of the development of the Area; and WHEREAS, the Commission believes that developing the Area and the completion of the Project as described herein is in the best interests of the City and its residents; and WHEREAS, the Commission desires to facilitate and assist the Project by undertaking financing the Developer’s portion of the installation of the larger gas utility main pipeline in the Area (the “Local Public Improvements”), subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and in accordance with the Act. NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and obligations stated in this Agreement, the adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, the Parties agree as follows: 2 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. Unless otherwise defined in this Agreement, capitalized terms used in this Agreement have the following meanings: 1.1 Assessed Value. “Assessed Value” means the market value-in-use of a property, used for property tax assessment purposes as determined by the St. Joseph County Assessor. 1.2 Funding Amount. “Funding Amount” means an amount not to exceed Ninety- Three Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty-Four Dollars and Sixty-One Cents ($93,824.61) of tax increment finance revenues to be used for paying the costs associated with the construction, equipping, inspection, and delivery of the Local Public Improvements. 1.3 Private Investment. “Private Investment” means an amount no less than Eight Million One Hundred Fifty-Two Thousand Four Hundred Eighty-Four Dollars ($8,152,484.00) to be expended by the Developer for the costs associated with constructing the improvements set forth in the Project Plan, including architectural, engineering, and any other costs directly related to completion of the Project that are expected to contribute to increases in the Assessed Value of the Developer Property. SECTION 2. INTERPRETATION, TERMS, AND RECITALS. 2.1 Interpretation. (a) The terms “herein,” “hereto,” “hereunder,” and all terms of similar import shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement as a whole rather than to any Article of, Section of, or Exhibit to this Agreement. (b) Unless otherwise specified, references in this Agreement to (i) “Section” or “Article” shall be deemed to refer to the Section or Article of this Agreement bearing the number so specified, (ii) “Exhibit” shall be deemed to refer to the Exhibit of this Agreement bearing the letter or number so specified, and (iii) references to this “Agreement” shall mean this Agreement and any exhibits and attachments hereto. (c) Captions used for or in Sections, Articles, and Exhibits of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the construction of this Agreement. (d) The terms “include”, “including” and “such as” shall each be construed as if followed by the phrase “without being limited to.” 2.2 Recitals. The Recitals set forth above are incorporated into and are a part of this Agreement for all purposes. SECTION 3. DEVELOPER’S OBLIGATIONS. 3.1 Generally. The Parties acknowledge and agree that the Commission’s agreements to perform and abide by the covenants and obligations set forth in this Agreement are material 3 consideration for the Developer’s commitment to perform and abide by the covenants and obligations of the Developer contained in this Agreement. 3.2 The Project. The Developer will perform all necessary work and expend the Private Investment to complete the Project and will comply with all zoning and land use laws and ordinances. 3.3 Obtain Necessary Easements. The Developer shall obtain or cause to be obtained any and all easements from any governmental entity and/or any other third parties that the Developer deems necessary or advisable in order to complete the Local Public Improvements. 3.4 Timeframe for Completion. Except as otherwise set forth herein, the Developer hereby agrees to complete the Project and any other obligations the Developer may have under this Agreement by the date that is twelve (12) months after the Effective Date of this Agreement (the “Mandatory Project Completion Date”). Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Developer’s failure to complete the Project or any other obligations the Developer may have under this Agreement by the Mandatory Project Completion Date will constitute a default under this Agreement without any requirement of notice of or an opportunity to cure such failure. 3.5 Costs and Expenses of Construction of Project. The Developer hereby agrees to pay, or cause to be paid, all costs and expenses of planning, construction, management, and all other activities or purposes associated with the Project (including legal, architectural, and engineering fees), exclusive of the Local Public Improvements, which shall be paid for by the Commission by and through the Funding Amount subject to the terms of this Agreement. 3.6 Non-Interference. Developer hereby agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize disruption for those living and working near the Developer Property during construction of the Project. 3.7 Insurance. The Developer shall purchase and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage as is appropriate for the work being performed with respect to the Project. 3.8 Option to Purchase Agreement. The Developer shall enter into, or shall cause the execution of, an Option Agreement with the Commission pertaining to the sale of its current facility at 525 S Taylor Street, South Bend, Indiana concurrently with the execution of this Agreement. SECTION 4. COMMISSION’S OBLIGATIONS. 4.1 Generally. The Parties acknowledge and agree that the Developer’s agreement to perform and abide by the covenants and obligations set forth in this Agreement is material consideration for the Commission’s commitment to perform and abide by the covenants and obligations of the Commission contained in this Agreement. 4 4.2 Completion of Local Public Improvements. (a) The Commission hereby agrees to execute any documents necessary to ensure the timely financing of the Developer’s portion of the gas utility main pipeline. (b) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event the costs associated with the Local Public Improvements are in excess of the Funding Amount, Developer shall pay the amount of such excess costs. In no event will the Commission be required to spend more than the Funding Amount in connection with the Local Public Improvements. SECTION 5. COOPERATION IN THE EVENT OF LEGAL CHALLENGE. 5.1 Cooperation. In the event of any administrative, legal, or equitable action or other proceeding instituted by any person not a party to this Agreement challenging the validity of any provision of this Agreement, the Parties shall cooperate in defending such action or proceeding to settlement or final judgment including all appeals. Each Party shall select its own legal counsel and retain such counsel at its own expense, and in no event shall the Commission be required to bear the fees and costs of the Developer’s attorneys nor shall the Developer be required to bear the fees and costs of the Commission’s attorneys. The Parties agree that if any other provision of this Agreement, or this Agreement as a whole, is invalidated, rendered null, or set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction, the Parties agree to be bound by the terms of this Section 5.1, which shall survive such invalidation, nullification, or setting aside. SECTION 6. DEFAULT. 6.1 Default. Any failure by either Party to perform any term or provision of this Agreement, which failure continues uncured for a period of thirty (30) days following written notice of such failure from the other Party, shall constitute a default under this Agreement. Any notice given pursuant to the preceding sentence shall specify the nature of the alleged failure and, where appropriate, the manner in which said failure satisfactorily may be cured. Upon the occurrence of a default under this Agreement, the non-defaulting Party may (a) terminate this Agreement, or (b) institute legal proceedings at law or in equity (including any action to compel specific performance) seeking remedies for such default. If the default is cured within thirty (30) days after the notice described in this Section 7.1, then no default shall exist and the noticing Party shall take no further action. 6.2 Reimbursement Obligation. In the event that the Developer fails (a) to complete the Project by the Mandatory Project Completion Date, or (b) to expend the full amount of the Private Investment by the Mandatory Project Completion Date, then upon the written demand of the Commission, the Developer will repay the Commission One Hundred Fifty Percent (150%) of the portion of the Funding Amount expended by the Commission in furtherance of the Local Public Improvements as of the date of the Commission’s demand. 6.3 Force Majeure. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, none of the Parties shall be deemed to be in default where delays in performance or failures to perform are due to, and a necessary outcome of, pandemic or pandemic response, war, insurrection, strikes or other labor disturbances, walk-outs, riots, floods, earthquakes, fires, 5 casualties, acts of God, acts of terrorism, restrictions imposed or mandated by governmental entities, enactment of conflicting state or federal laws or regulations, new or supplemental environments regulations, contract defaults by third parties, or similar basis for excused performance which is not within the reasonable control of the Party to be excused (each, an event of “Force Majeure”). Upon the request of any of the Parties, a reasonable extension of any date or deadline set forth in this Agreement due to such cause will be granted in writing for a period necessitated by the event of Force Majeure, or longer as may be mutually agreed upon by all the Parties. SECTION 7. NO AGENCY, JOINT VENTURE, OR PARTNERSHIP; CONFLICT OF INTEREST; INDEMNITY. 7.1 No Agency, Joint Venture or Partnership. The Parties acknowledge and agree that: (a) The Project is a private development; (b) Neither the Commission nor the Developer has any interest or responsibilities for, or due to, third parties concerning any improvements until such time, and only until such time, that the Commission and/or the Developer expressly accepts the same; and (c) The Parties hereby renounce the existence of any form of agency relationship, joint venture or partnership between the Commission and the Developer and agree that nothing contained herein or in any document executed in connection herewith shall be construed as creating any such relationship between the Commission and the Developer. 7.2 Conflict of Interest; Commission Representatives Not Individually Liable. No member, official, or employee of the Commission or the City may have any personal interest, direct or indirect, in this Agreement, nor shall any such member, official, or employee participate in any decision relating to this Agreement which affects his or her personal interests or the interests of any corporation, partnership, or association in which he or she is, directly or indirectly, interested. No member, official, or employee of the Commission or the City shall be personally liable to the Developer, or any successor in interest, in the event of any default or breach by the Commission or for any amount which may become due to the Developer, or its successors and assigns, or on any obligations under the terms of this Agreement. No partner, member, employee, or agent of the Developer or successors of them shall be personally liable to the Commission under this Agreement. 7.3 Indemnity. The Developer agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Commission and the City from and against any third-party claims suffered by the Commission or the City resulting from or incurred in connection with the Local Public Improvements or the Project. 6 SECTION 8. MISCELLANEOUS. 8.1 Severability. If any term or provision of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, or unenforceable, the remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect unless amended or modified by mutual consent of the parties. 8.2 Waiver. Neither the failure nor any delay on the part of a Party to exercise any right, remedy, power, or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall nay single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power, or privilege preclude any other or further exercise of the same or of any right, remedy, power, or privilege with respect to any occurrence be construed as a waiver of any such right, remedy, power, or privilege with respect to any other occurrence. No waiver shall be effective unless it is in writing and is signed by the party asserted to have granted such waiver. 8.3 Other Necessary Acts. Each Party shall execute and deliver to the other Parties all such other further instruments and documents as may be reasonably necessary to accomplish the Project and the Local Public Improvements contemplated by this Agreement and to provide and secure to the other Parties the full and complete enjoyment of its rights and privileges hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Parties understand and agree that certain actions contemplated by this Agreement may be required to be undertaken by persons, agencies, or entities that are not a party to this Agreement, including, but not limited to certain permits, consents, and/or approvals (to the extent they have not yet been obtained and completed), and that any action by such third parties shall require independent approval by the respective person, agency, entity, or governing body thereof. 8.4 Dispute Resolution; Waiver of Jury Trial. Any action to enforce the terms or conditions of this Agreement or otherwise concerning a dispute under this Agreement will be commenced in the courts of St. Joseph County, Indiana, unless the Parties mutually agree to an alternative method of dispute resolution. The Parties acknowledge that disputes arising under this Agreement are likely to be complex and they desire to streamline and minimize the cost of resolving such disputes. In any legal proceeding, each Party irrevocably waives the right to trial by jury in any action, counterclaim, dispute, or proceeding based upon, or related to, the subject matter of this Agreement. This waiver applies to all claims against all parties to such actions and proceedings. This waiver is knowingly, intentionally, and voluntarily made by both Parties. 8.5 Attorneys’ Fees. In the event of any litigation, mediation, or arbitration between the Parties regarding an alleged breach of this Agreement, none of the Parties shall be entitled to any award of attorney’s fees. 8.6 Equal Employment Opportunity. The Developer, for itself and its successors and assigns, agrees that during the construction of the Project: (a) The Developer will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Developer agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause; and 7 (b) The Developer will state, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the Developer, that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. 8.7 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Any electronically transmitted version of a manually executed original shall be deemed a manually executed original. 8.8 Notices and Demands. Any notice, demand, or other communication required or permitted under the terms of this Agreement may be delivered (a) by hand-delivery (which will be deemed delivered at the time of receipt), (b) by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested (which will be deemed delivered three (3) days after mailing), or (c) by overnight courier service (which will be deemed delivered on the next business day) to each Party’s respective addresses and representatives stated below. Developer: Claeys Candy Inc. 525 S Taylor Street South Bend, IN 46634 Attn. President GFC Holdings, LLC 525 S Taylor Street South Bend, IN 46634 Attn. Gregg Claeys With a copy to: ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ Attn: ______________________ Commission: South Bend Redevelopment Commission 1400 S. County-City Building 227 W. Jefferson Blvd. South Bend, IN 46601 Attn: Executive Director, Department of Community Investment With a copy to: South Bend Legal Department 1200 S. County-City Building 227 W. Jefferson Blvd. South Bend, IN 46601 Attn: Corporation Counsel 8.9 Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana. 8 8.10 Authority. Each undersigned person executing and delivering this Agreement on behalf of a Party represents and certifies that he or she is the duly authorized officer or representative of such Party, that he or she has been fully empowered to execute and deliver this Agreement on behalf of such Party, and that all necessary action to execute and deliver this Agreement has been taken by such Party. 8.11 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or shall be construed to confer upon any person, firm, or corporation other than the Parties hereto and their respective successors or assigns, any remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or any term, covenant, or condition hereof, as third-party beneficiaries or otherwise, and all of the terms, covenants, and conditions hereof shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Parties herein. 8.12 Assignment. The Developer’s rights under this Agreement shall be personal to the Developer and shall not run with the land. The Developer may not assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement to any third party without obtaining the Commission’s prior written consent to such assignment, which the Commission may give or withhold in its sole discretion. In the event the Developer seeks the Commission’s consent to any such assignment, the Developer shall provide to the Commission all relevant information concerning the identities of the persons or entities proposed to be involved in and an explanation of the purposes for the proposed assignment(s). 8.13 Further Assurances. The Parties agree that they will each undertake in good faith, as permitted by law, any action and execute and deliver any document reasonably required to carry out the intents and purposes of this Agreement. 8.14 Exhibits. All exhibits described herein and attached hereto are incorporated into this Agreement by reference. 8.15 Entire Agreement. No representation, promise, or inducement not included in this Agreement will be binding upon the Parties hereto. This Agreement cannot be modified except by mutual agreement of the Parties set forth in a written instrument signed by the Parties’ authorized representatives. 8.16 Time. Time is of the essence of this Agreement. Signature Page Follows IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereby execute this Agreement to be effective as of the Effective Date stated above. SOUTH BEND REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ______________________________ Marcia I. Jones, President ATTEST: ______________________________ Troy Warner, Secretary CLAEYS CANDY INC. By: _____________________________________ Gregg Claeys, President GFC HOLDINGS, LLC By: _____________________________________ Gregg Claeys, Member EXHIBIT A Description of Developer Property Property in the City of South Bend, German Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana, more particularly described as follows: 3072.47' S NW NE to POB E 594', N 499.67, W 1200.44, S 500, E 605.99, N 0.35' Sec 20 38 2e 21/22 Containing 13.772 acres Parcel ID: 025-1018-062810 State ID: 71-03-20-401-005.000-009 Commonly known as 5229 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, Indiana 46628