10-30-2007 Contractors to review South Bend Lathe demolition site

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o�sou Tx F dx :J b W eFacE � � y� a 1, a2 1865 Office of the Mayor NEWS RELEASE October 30, 2007 10 a.m. Contractors to review South Bend Lathe demolition site Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876- 1564; Carl Littrell, City Engineer, 235-9251; or Ann Kolata, 235-9371 Contractors eligible to demolish the former South Bend Lathe facility, 400 W. Sample St.,toured the site today as part of a 30-day evaluation period in preparation for the Nov. 29 deadline to submit bids. The Board of Public Works will open bids Nov. 29 in anticipation of awarding the demolition contract in its Dec. 20 meeting. The selected contractor would be able to proceed with demolition in January with substantial completion of the demolition required by July 2009. Tuesday's walkthrough tour provided a summary of the project, establishing limits and requirements and giving contractors an opportunity to take necessary samples of soil or other materials. Located directly across from South Bend Police headquarters, the 15-acre site with its 500,000-square-foot building represents about 20 percent of land and structures in the Studebaker corridor's Area A. The project will bring the total demolition in the entire Studebaker corridor to nearly 2.5 million square feet with another 1 million square feet in the Oliver Plow area. "This demolition will have a very visible impact on the entire area It will open up the land for new jobs, new investment and new pride," Mayor Stephen J. Luecke said. "These sites will be reused as productive business parks where people once again can find employment opportunities in the central city. This is not only good for the environment. It is also an important part of our Smart Growth strategy." Following demolition and environmental remediation, the city anticipates new construction of a light industrial park with private investment of up to $46 million and the