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REGULAR MEETING MAY 29, 2012 <br /> <br /> <br />beautiful picture of how South Bend is welcoming and that we are also growing. He <br />stated that it is time for it to happen. He stated that they started with the LaSalle Square <br />plan and moving turtle slow with particular plan however, they have to add it to the TIF <br />District so that things are going to get happening over there. Lincolnway is lot bigger <br />than just LaSalle Square and definitely want that part of the community to be as vibrant <br />as possible by it being a main thoroughfare coming straight from the airport. He stated <br />that we need to value it. <br /> <br />Councilmember White added that for probably the last two years we have had some <br />discussions with regard to expanding the Airport TIF Area to include Lincolnway West <br />to the Downtown Area. She stated that Lincolnway and all the other corridors are the <br />main entry way into the City and for a period of time a number of business and <br />individuals coming to the airport have taken other routes into the city not wanting to <br />come down Lincolnway West. She stated that there are a number of vacant and <br />abandoned homes and she believes that this is a great opportunity to begin discussions <br />with the Community & Economic Development Department along with the new director <br />as well as with the Redevelopment Commission to start the conversations to begin to <br />expand the Airport TIF to include the Lincolnway Corridor. She stated that they do know <br />that it is a process, the last time the Airport TIF was expanded to include LaSalle Square, <br />it was about two years that they had to work through that process, but it is important and <br />time now to begin those discussions to look at expanding the Airport TIF to address one <br />of the main corridors into the City of South Bend. She asked the Council for their <br />favorable support of this Resolution. <br /> <br />The following individuals spoke in favor of the bill: <br /> <br />Jerry Niezgodski, 2930 Bonds Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, spoke in favor of this bill. <br />He thanked Councilmember’s Henry Davis and Karen White for sponsoring this bill. He <br />stated that this is long overdue. He stated that it was mentioned in many of the <br />Councilmember’s re-election campaign agendas. He stated that he has a couple of <br />concerns: If we add this area to the TIF District, he hopes that we can get rid of or retire <br />the same amount of area in other TIF Districts. As it stands, even with retiring the one <br />TIF District on the Southside, this would probable put South Bend over 40% more land <br />mass in TIF’s. He did not want to see any more pressure on the general fund if at all <br />possible. He stated that he hopes that part of the process would be to look at housing <br />TIF’s given the fact that this does include housing along Lincolnway West. He asked if it <br />would strictly be just Lincolnway West or would it go a block north or south? He looks <br />forward to the discussions and hopes they will be fruitful and successful and at the same <br />time not putting anymore pressure on the general fund. <br /> <br />Vera Peel, 2715 Bonds Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she agrees with <br />everything that Mr. Niezgodski has said. <br /> <br />Valerie Sims, 1636 Florence Street, South Bend, Indiana, advised that she is in full <br />agreement with Councilmember’s White and Henry Davis. She stated that she would like <br />to see the area expanded to go a couple of blocks north and south of Lincolnway West. <br /> <br />Marilyn Gashaw, 2514 W. Kenwood, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she supports the <br />TIF being used for Lincolnway West, but she would also like for the TIF to pay attention <br />to the corridor at Bendix and Lincolnway. She stated according to the Redevelopment <br />Plan there was a plan to work with that corridor and open it up into LaSalle Square. She <br />would like to see that added to the plan. She believes it would impact that area very <br />much. <br /> <br />There was no one else present wishing to speak in favor of this bill and there was no one <br />present wishing to speak in opposition to this bill. <br /> <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis made a motion to adopt this Resolution. Councilmember <br />Schey seconded the motion which carried and the Resolution was adopted by a Roll Call <br />vote of nine (9) ayes. <br /> <br /> <br /> 29 <br /> <br />