Redevelopment Commission Minutes 09.25.25 - Signed

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CITY OF SOUTH BEND REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING – September 25, 2025 5 closed on the Sunoco building two days ago. So now, the RDC officially owns all three sites. The minimum bid amounts—based on the average of two appraisals— are: • Drewry site: $295,000. It’s the largest but still has some foundations to remove, so it’s not a fully cleared Greenfield site. • Shopping Center: $907,000. • Sunoco building: $100,850, which matches the RDC’s purchase price. Bids for these properties are due by October 23, 2025. The City has invested significant time and resources into acquiring these 24 acres. While we’ve made progress, challenges remain—like demolition and environmental cleanup. But we’re moving quickly and shifting focus from remediation to redevelopment. We’ve received strong interest from developers, especially since the Drewrys Brewery came down and RDC acquired the shopping center. However, none of the sites have gone through the formal disposition process yet, which makes it hard to engage developers meaningfully. Each bid packet will be posted online and will state that the City prefers proposals that include all three sites together. Our long-term goal is full redevelopment of the entire 24-acre area. We’re not looking for piecemeal interest in just one parcel like the Sunoco or shopping center. Today, we’re voting on the bid specifications, the Notice of Intended Disposition (which will be published twice in the South Bend Tribune as required by law), and the resolution for disposition of each property, which includes the minimum bid amounts. President Warner reviewed the City’s process prior to establishing a development agreement. Tina Patton asked for clarification of the demolition of the Elwood Shopping Plaza. Mr. Bauer stated that we plan to demolish the grocery store located in the shopping center. To confirm, yes—approval for the demolition has already been granted. However, I don’t believe the bid specifications have been advertised yet. We’re currently in the process, and this will be presented to the Board of Public Works soon. The funding for the demolition has already been appropriated. As you may recall, this project is supported by multiple grants and loans from the State of Indiana.