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South Bend Redevelopment Commission <br /> Regular Meeting—March 13, 2012 <br /> 6. NEW BUSINESS (CONT.) <br /> C. Airport Economic Development Area <br /> (7) continued... <br /> The project is being contemplated in several <br /> phases so the Commission will have enough <br /> time to absorb a lot of the complexity as well <br /> as the scope of the opportunity. <br /> The Mayor noted that the portion of the <br /> project for which we are asking approval <br /> today is referred to as Phase I and contains <br /> the most straight-forward elements of the <br /> project. The Union Station business needs to <br /> grow in order to meet its expanding customer <br /> base. This is an opportunity for us in city <br /> government to learn how to move at the pace <br /> of high-tech business. Opportunities to work <br /> with Internet-driven businesses come and go <br /> at a swiftness that we're not used to in some <br /> other industrial environments. We need to <br /> find the right balance between providing the <br /> Commission with the information it needs to <br /> make decisions, and at a fast enough pace to <br /> meet the needs of the business. <br /> Mayor Pete communicated his enthusiasm <br /> for the potential to have a structure that in <br /> many ways economically taunted us by its <br /> emptiness and to also bring high-paying jobs <br /> back into that structure once again. He <br /> believes it's a particularly compelling <br /> possibility for the Commission to entertain. <br /> Mr. Kevin Smith, head of Union Station <br /> Properties, explained his vision for the multi- <br /> phased project. He purchased Union Station <br /> in 1977 and slowly began renovating it, <br /> briefly running it as a conference/catering <br /> facility. But it became apparent that there <br /> 20 <br />