City Has Vision Plan For Argonne Corridor
September 9, 2020 at 2:34 a.m.
City Has Vision Plan For Argonne Corridor
By David [email protected]
City Planner Jeremy Skinner told the board the vision plan went through a committee that reviewed the different renditions of the plan over the last six months. The committee of about 15 people unanimously approved the plan about 1-1/2 weeks ago.
“This is also part of the plan that we’re using for the application for the Argonne housing project,” Skinner said, requesting the commission to formally accept the vision plan. “We can utilize this to promote projects in this area in the future.”
At the August Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, it was learned that the city took ownership of the Arnolt Corp. building at 2525 E. Durbin St. in the Argonne corridor in the summer and is working with RealAmerica Development Inc. to bring residential housing to that property.
Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation CEO Alan Tio headed up the committee, Skinner said, with KEDCO, Winona Lake and the Redevelopment Commission paying for the study of the corridor to be completed. Anderson + Bohlander LLC was hired as the planning consultant in January to assist in developing the plan.
Commission President Tim Meyer asked if all the committee members were in agreement with the final vision plan. Skinner said the committee was given a presentation about 1-1/2 weeks ago and “everybody was excited to see the results of their conversations over the last six months.”
George Clemens, a member of the Redevelopment Commission, also was a part of the committee.
“I think it’s pretty exciting for everybody that was involved,” Clemens said. While there’s a lot of variables to come in the future, he said everybody “wants to see the action taken where we can redirect some of the areas that have been quite industrial into things more suited for a gateway between Warsaw and Winona Lake. I think everybody was agreed on that.”
Meyer asked if the plan was an attempt to convert the area from industrial/commercial to more commercial/residential.
“I think it’s an attempt to look at an active reuse of some dilapidated and unused buildings in this area and potentially some infrastructure improvements that may make redevelopment more conducive in this area,” Skinner answered. “I think there’s a lot of options if you read through it. It’s not saying you have to do this here and this there, it gives some flexibility. But really, it’s trying to invigorate the area through some mixed use that may include residential, commercial and then even still some light manufacturing.”
He said it’s unrealistic to assume at this point that heavy manufacturing is coming back to the corridor. Skinner said the plan does not bind the Redevelopment Commission to anything, but just provides a broad redevelopment plan for the area.
The Commission unanimously approved the vision plan.
“Thank you very much,” Meyer said. “That’s a lot of work.”
Skinner then presented a real estate conveyance agreement between the Commission and RealAmerica for the Arnolt property at 2525 E. Durbin St. property.
“This purchase agreement lays out what they will do and what we will do, and it is part of that (Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority) loan application that we’re participating with RealAmerica for housing to be placed on the Arnolt property,” Skinner said, noting that city attorney Scott Reust put it together and Skinner reviewed it with Reust.
The application goes in to IHCDA on Sept. 18 for the next round of grant funding. The conveyance agreement is one of the documents required for the IHCDA grant application.
Commission Vice President Rick Snodgrass asked if this would put the Arnolt property back on the tax rolls. Skinner said yes and that what RealAmerica is proposing is two three-story buildings with 60 affordable family rental units, a club house and a small park for residents.
Snodgrass asked if the existing Arnolt building would be torn down, and Skinner said it would. Asked at whose expense, Skinner said that’s to be discussed but the city may demolish the old building at its expense out of the Economic Development Income Tax fund as an incentive for RealAmerica to build the housing.
While the grant application goes in Sept. 18, Skinner said the award won’t be made until January or February. He said the application will get points from the state for incentives the city makes and for money the city agrees to spend, with the demolition cost scoring points for the application. Skinner estimated the demolition will cost around $200,000.
“The city of Warsaw owns (the Arnolt property). We will be transferring this property to the Redevelopment Commission in the near future,” Skinner said.
Mayor Joe Thallemer told the commission the city set money aside for demolition of commercial buildings in the past. The incentive is an important part of the grant application to the IHCDA. “The city’s participation scores more points and enhances the potential of them getting awarded this grant. These are competitive grants, so the city is certainly willing to make that investment, to eliminate that eyesore and get it back on the tax rolls and address a housing issue that we’ve got and has been identified as a big problem,” he said.
Snodgrass asked how much money was RealAmerica investing into the housing project. Skinner estimated $7 million to $8 million. He also said that as part of the agreement, “they agreed this will be used for rentals for 99 years,” and this was a good long-term project for the city.
Clemens said he was very excited for the city to see the eyesore come down.
Skinner said there was no guarantee the project would get grant approval in the first round, but the city will continue to push for approval and work on the project whether it takes two or three grant cycles.
Mike Klondaris, city councilman and Commission member, said if the project gets up and going, it may be a catalyst to finally get something done with the nearby Gatke property that’s been sitting for decades.
The Commission unanimously approved the real estate conveyance agreement.
A little later in the meeting, Thallemer said, “Going back to 2016 when the city’s vision was to improve that area, we’re looking at a tired industrial area, an industrial area that had environmental concerns. Probably was not giving the image that we wanted with folks coming to and from our community along Argonne Road. We spent a lot of time and energy in 2016 developing a vision, but we needed these opportunities, we needed these projects, we needed these developers to come along, and you all have done a lot of investing in the vision plan to refine a vision of that area.”
He called the Arnolt project “transformational.” “To me this is really fulfilling to see that you sign on to this project knowing what we’ve been wanting to do, but a lot of good things take time. And it’s an opportunity and when you get an opportunity, we have to do everything we can to maximize that opportunity,” Thallemer said, adding that he’s very happy with the direction the project is going.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner told the board the vision plan went through a committee that reviewed the different renditions of the plan over the last six months. The committee of about 15 people unanimously approved the plan about 1-1/2 weeks ago.
“This is also part of the plan that we’re using for the application for the Argonne housing project,” Skinner said, requesting the commission to formally accept the vision plan. “We can utilize this to promote projects in this area in the future.”
At the August Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, it was learned that the city took ownership of the Arnolt Corp. building at 2525 E. Durbin St. in the Argonne corridor in the summer and is working with RealAmerica Development Inc. to bring residential housing to that property.
Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation CEO Alan Tio headed up the committee, Skinner said, with KEDCO, Winona Lake and the Redevelopment Commission paying for the study of the corridor to be completed. Anderson + Bohlander LLC was hired as the planning consultant in January to assist in developing the plan.
Commission President Tim Meyer asked if all the committee members were in agreement with the final vision plan. Skinner said the committee was given a presentation about 1-1/2 weeks ago and “everybody was excited to see the results of their conversations over the last six months.”
George Clemens, a member of the Redevelopment Commission, also was a part of the committee.
“I think it’s pretty exciting for everybody that was involved,” Clemens said. While there’s a lot of variables to come in the future, he said everybody “wants to see the action taken where we can redirect some of the areas that have been quite industrial into things more suited for a gateway between Warsaw and Winona Lake. I think everybody was agreed on that.”
Meyer asked if the plan was an attempt to convert the area from industrial/commercial to more commercial/residential.
“I think it’s an attempt to look at an active reuse of some dilapidated and unused buildings in this area and potentially some infrastructure improvements that may make redevelopment more conducive in this area,” Skinner answered. “I think there’s a lot of options if you read through it. It’s not saying you have to do this here and this there, it gives some flexibility. But really, it’s trying to invigorate the area through some mixed use that may include residential, commercial and then even still some light manufacturing.”
He said it’s unrealistic to assume at this point that heavy manufacturing is coming back to the corridor. Skinner said the plan does not bind the Redevelopment Commission to anything, but just provides a broad redevelopment plan for the area.
The Commission unanimously approved the vision plan.
“Thank you very much,” Meyer said. “That’s a lot of work.”
Skinner then presented a real estate conveyance agreement between the Commission and RealAmerica for the Arnolt property at 2525 E. Durbin St. property.
“This purchase agreement lays out what they will do and what we will do, and it is part of that (Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority) loan application that we’re participating with RealAmerica for housing to be placed on the Arnolt property,” Skinner said, noting that city attorney Scott Reust put it together and Skinner reviewed it with Reust.
The application goes in to IHCDA on Sept. 18 for the next round of grant funding. The conveyance agreement is one of the documents required for the IHCDA grant application.
Commission Vice President Rick Snodgrass asked if this would put the Arnolt property back on the tax rolls. Skinner said yes and that what RealAmerica is proposing is two three-story buildings with 60 affordable family rental units, a club house and a small park for residents.
Snodgrass asked if the existing Arnolt building would be torn down, and Skinner said it would. Asked at whose expense, Skinner said that’s to be discussed but the city may demolish the old building at its expense out of the Economic Development Income Tax fund as an incentive for RealAmerica to build the housing.
While the grant application goes in Sept. 18, Skinner said the award won’t be made until January or February. He said the application will get points from the state for incentives the city makes and for money the city agrees to spend, with the demolition cost scoring points for the application. Skinner estimated the demolition will cost around $200,000.
“The city of Warsaw owns (the Arnolt property). We will be transferring this property to the Redevelopment Commission in the near future,” Skinner said.
Mayor Joe Thallemer told the commission the city set money aside for demolition of commercial buildings in the past. The incentive is an important part of the grant application to the IHCDA. “The city’s participation scores more points and enhances the potential of them getting awarded this grant. These are competitive grants, so the city is certainly willing to make that investment, to eliminate that eyesore and get it back on the tax rolls and address a housing issue that we’ve got and has been identified as a big problem,” he said.
Snodgrass asked how much money was RealAmerica investing into the housing project. Skinner estimated $7 million to $8 million. He also said that as part of the agreement, “they agreed this will be used for rentals for 99 years,” and this was a good long-term project for the city.
Clemens said he was very excited for the city to see the eyesore come down.
Skinner said there was no guarantee the project would get grant approval in the first round, but the city will continue to push for approval and work on the project whether it takes two or three grant cycles.
Mike Klondaris, city councilman and Commission member, said if the project gets up and going, it may be a catalyst to finally get something done with the nearby Gatke property that’s been sitting for decades.
The Commission unanimously approved the real estate conveyance agreement.
A little later in the meeting, Thallemer said, “Going back to 2016 when the city’s vision was to improve that area, we’re looking at a tired industrial area, an industrial area that had environmental concerns. Probably was not giving the image that we wanted with folks coming to and from our community along Argonne Road. We spent a lot of time and energy in 2016 developing a vision, but we needed these opportunities, we needed these projects, we needed these developers to come along, and you all have done a lot of investing in the vision plan to refine a vision of that area.”
He called the Arnolt project “transformational.” “To me this is really fulfilling to see that you sign on to this project knowing what we’ve been wanting to do, but a lot of good things take time. And it’s an opportunity and when you get an opportunity, we have to do everything we can to maximize that opportunity,” Thallemer said, adding that he’s very happy with the direction the project is going.
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