06-06-2011 Bill 27-11: Investments for South Bend’s future

Home Browse Search

1. New economic development opportunities—$3.7 million—The largest portion of the projects, more than 40 percent, would fund efforts to boost economic and neighborhood development. Two efforts would have a direct impact on new housing development, while a third would support new jobs in the city. • $1.5 million for sewer infrastructure modification, which would enable Steel Warehouse to undertake as much as a $6.45-million investment in an expanded facility along Riverside Drive, north of Angela Boulevard. The company plans to build a 20,000-square-foot addition to the north of its existing facility and add nearly $3.5 million worth of new equipment. The project will retain 80 jobs and create 14 to 17 new jobs. The City's investment involves reinforcing an existing 96-inch sewer line and providing structural support to protect the line, which will be under the building addition. • $1.2 million would assist development of St. Joseph High School's new campus by consolidating property adjacent to the former St. Joseph Regional Medical Center site. The overall site is the key parcel in the City's East Bank Phase I Redevelopment Area. St. Joseph High School plans to break ground Friday for a new, $35.5-million downtown campus to serve 900 students. The facilities include two gymnasiums and a new football field. The purchase of the former Family Dollar store site would make the site more viable for the new campus. It is the one item school officials asked the City to address in removing impediments to redevelopment of a site with many challenges, including topography, groundwater and previous foundations. St. Joseph High School would demolish the former Family Dollar store to make room for its new football field. The new high school is expected to increase demand for adjacent housing in nearby neighborhoods. • $1 million would enable the City of South Bend to acquire nearly 25 acres of property along Northside Boulevard, which until recently housed Transpo's maintenance facility. The site would be cleared and remediated by Transpo, while the City would make the property available for new riverfront housing development by the private sector as outlined in the East Bank master plan. Together with adjacent vacant land,these under-utilized sites would create immediate opportunities for in-fill housing, bringing new residents into the city and getting property back on the tax rolls. 2. Infrastructure upkeep and repairs—$3.25 million—About 36 percent of the special-projects budget would support ongoing maintenance,repairs and replacement of existing infrastructure. • $2.1 million for additional street paving citywide in 2011 (in addition to the existing annual budget for paving), including a process for Common Council members to target priority repaving projects in their districts. (This funding also includes $150,000 for the addition of a new traffic signal at Western Avenue and Laurel Street to accommodate the anticipated traffic increase because of the Kroc Community Center). • $700,000 to replace the pedestrian bridge over Chapin Street, which is unsafe and does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. The new Alonzo Watson Bridge will connect the main campus of the South Bend Housing Authority with the new Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center of the Salvation Army of St. Joseph County. (Together, the signal and the bridge represent less than 2 percent of the private investment at the Kroc site.) • $300,000 to improve street lighting with new and replacement pedestrian-scale