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Progressive Urban Industries
To: South Bend Redevelopment Commission
From: Joseph Tillman, P.U.I.
Re: the sale or grant of real property
Greetings,
we previously submitted correspondence (4- 23 -13) indicating our discomfort with the
commission selling or granting properties without the employment and contracting
opportunities out lined in state and federal law. Subsequent to that correspondence the
attorney for the commission submitted a memo that denied that the city ever held title to the
property.
Based on research by our organization, we have concluded that the city did not have actual
title to the property. However, we have uncovered some questionable practices concerning
bow the acquisition and financing of the property was accomplished.
The property in question (5o1 Washington) was not transferred to the historic preservation
commission by the city; it was transferred by the St. Joseph County hoLsin�
consortium for which the city of South Bend is the lead agency. Since the consortium has
funds available to it for the rehabilitation of properties we question why the redevelopment
commission was willing to use TO funds to finance the rehabilitation of the property.
Additionally, although the redevelopment commission did not actually transfer title to this
property, there are several other properties that the commission did take part in.
these properties are currently part of the triangle redevelopment project. Since the officials of
the commission pleaded ignorance when we brought the state regulations to their attention, it
is doubtful that these laws were ever considered when transferring these properties.
Next there is the issue of transparency; as part of our issue development process we
requested.from the city a list of all properties that were transferred from the redevelopment
commission to a community development corporation. We received a rather long list of
properties that the city claimed was done as a courtesy to our organization and that a list of
such properties did not exist. This. In 2010 we received a list of properties from
the department of Community and Economic Development that shows some properties that
were acquired for the benefit of CDC's that were left out of the list that the city submitted to
us. These properties are now part of the triangle project. It is these types of actions that forces
us to question the sincerity of the city and especially the city attornev.
This brings us to our final, and possibly most important part of out correspondence; the
issue of public input. The redevelopment commission operates in a manner that does not
allow for discourse with the public. This is surprising since the body that empowers them
does. In our view this is yet another example of a council enabled commission that sees itself
as the final authority that does not answer to anyone. The results of this false assumption is a
commission that plays fast and loose with the law, a commission that disregards the rule of
law whenever it sees fit. Transparency is the hallmark of a city that respects its residents, even
those they do not agree with. It is up to the Mayor and the Common Council to , ure that
transparency is the standing order of the day. Ins
I remain a servant of GOD and the People,
respectfully submitted,
Joseph Shabazz
Progressive Urban Industries
cc:
Common Council
Mayor