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Community plan launches in local county

Community plan launches in local county

Yahoo22-05-2025

BRAZIL, Ind. (WTWO-WAWV) — On Wednesday, the Clay County Commissioners, the city of Brazil, the Clay County Chamber of Commerce and the Wabash Valley Community Foundation unveiled a community plan.
Thanks to a grant from the Wabash Valley Community Foundation, the plan was shaped through community input, gathering survey responses and public engagement sessions.
The plan focuses on four strategic pillars: those are infrastructure improvements, economic development, health, wellness & recreation and community identity & engagement.
'I've lived in Clay County all my life. And I think this plan is something that is very valuable to all of us, including myself. As it does give us direction and I think it will help us plan the way that we need to go,' said Paul Sindrs, county commissioner.
Officials say the plan aligns with state and regional initiatives such as the Readi program.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Valparaiso begins discussion of housing affordability problem
Valparaiso begins discussion of housing affordability problem

Chicago Tribune

time01-06-2025

  • Chicago Tribune

Valparaiso begins discussion of housing affordability problem

Valparaiso began addressing housing affordability with a symposium Thursday, the first step toward finding solutions. Capital Stacker founder Heather Presley-Cowen, who has helped Fort Wayne and other communities, outlined the housing situation in Valparaiso before guiding a panel discussion and a tabletop scenario exercise for participants. It's important to create a strategy and not just a study, she said. Often a study 'becomes the best thing that sits on the shelf from the mayor's office,' Presley-Cowen said. 'A study looks back,' but that's the rearview mirror, not where you're headed. A strategy looks forward, 'and looks in a visionary way at what's possible.' 'The goal is that this leads directly to implementation,' she said. When Presley-Cowan consults with communities, she often hears real estate agents say, 'We've got a month's work of inventory if we're lucky,' while municipal officials point to vacant lots still available on the edge of town. But the housing market has changed, she said. Half-acre lots aren't as desirable. 'Today's buyer and renter population, they're not looking for that anymore,' she said. In the past, blight elimination has involved tearing out housing stock that's no longer functional. 'There is really good infrastructure running right past that house,' she said, so infill development is important. In Wabash, the 14-acre site of the former Parkview Hospital was donated to the city when a new hospital was built. It was a good location, convenient to downtown and schools. 'Wabash has had no development in many, many years – in generations,' she said. 'It wasn't happening. The private sector wasn't doing it.' 'We densified it because we could get the infrastructure costs down,' Presley-Cowen said. With smaller lots, 44 units were able to bring down the per-unit cost. 'It sets the stage for others to do the same thing,' she said. The city established a residential tax increment financing district and used state READI dollars for infrastructure work. 'Today we have our first five units that are coming out,' she said. Unlike Valparaiso, Wabash needed more expensive housing. Valparaiso's median housing value is $284,700, she said, citing a study by Zimmerman/Volk Associates. 'Every single year, 3,620 households of all incomes are swirling around, looking to live in Valparaiso,' Presley-Cowen said, but many can't find what they're looking for. 'Over the next five years, we need close to 2,000 new units. That's conservative,' she said. The pace of home construction, however, is nowhere near that rate. 'If we can offer more density, we naturally start creating more affordability,' she said. The average rental cost in Valparaiso is roughly $1,400 to $2,000. But looking at average median incomes, it should be $800 to $1,500 to be affordable for typical workers making about $13 to $15 an hour, she said. 'We have lots of housing needs, and we have lots of price points to meet,' Presley-Cowen said. 'We need condos starting at $105,000. Do we have anything like that?' Panelists offered a variety of perspectives on the city's housing situation. Plan Commission President Matt Evans said MLS data show single-family home values have gone up 191% over five years. Center Township hasn't seen the needed growth in median-income homes. 'We are truly handcuffed through the lack of supply. If we had more homes, I am sure we could sell them,' he said. Developers are building $350,000 homes because they can make more profit per unit than with homes at lower price points, he said. Patrick Turner, principal owner and developer with Dynaprop, said when he moved to Valparaiso, it was very affordable. That has changed. He noted a person who listed his home for $25,000 over the real estate agent's recommendation and received multiple offers, selling it within a week for $14,000 over the asking price. Unlike some areas, Valparaiso doesn't have a lot of infill properties, said CoAction Executive Director Jordan Stanfill. Complicating the housing affordability issue is that numbers showing how much home a buyer should be able to afford don't factor in debts they might already have. 'Everyone has a couple of car loans, student debt, especially if they're moving into a $350,000-plus home in Valparaiso,' residential real estate agent Zane Galloway said. United Way of Northwest Indiana Executive Director Chris White noted the agency has been focused in recent years on a demographic referred to as ALICE – asset limited, income constrained, but employed. A single person in Porter County needs to make almost $15 an hour just to get by, he said. For a family of four, it's $80,000. 'If you lose a wheel on your car, that may have set you back for a month, over the next year, to recover from that,' he said. Through its Level Up program, United Way of Northwest Indiana is working to help raise family incomes, guiding individuals through education and other means to raise their incomes. But there's a long way to go. In Porter County, 36% of residents are below the ALICE threshold, and 10% are below the poverty level. People are being squeezed out because they can't afford to live here, he said. Affordability is a simple issue of supply and demand, Presley-Cowen said. The issue is how to increase the supply to meet demand. Employers should be involved in the conversation because they have a stake in ensuring their workers can live near where they work, she said. Lenders need to be involved in the discussion, too. The next step of the process is to engage stakeholders in focus groups to come up with suggestions that might work for Valparaiso. After that, it will be time to start focusing on solutions that would help spur the construction of less expensive homes. 'There's no single bullet to solve any problem,' said Mayor Jon Costas. For Valparaiso, the solutions include looking at city ordinances to see what might be hindering affordable housing, he said. Among the changes could include encouraging higher density or allowing accessory shelters for secondary dwelling units on a property. 'How can a city of our size spur residential development that private developers have not participated in,' City Councilman Robert Cotton, D-2nd, asked. More and more communities realize affordable housing 'is a cornerstone of economic vitality,' he said. 'Affordable housing isn't an accessory. I believe it is a necessity.'

Portage RDC starts work on bond to open 450 acres to development; Marquette Greenway segment is included
Portage RDC starts work on bond to open 450 acres to development; Marquette Greenway segment is included

Chicago Tribune

time25-05-2025

  • Chicago Tribune

Portage RDC starts work on bond to open 450 acres to development; Marquette Greenway segment is included

The Portage Redevelopment Commission started the process of issuing a $10 million bond to pay for a bridge and other infrastructure improvements to open up about 450 acres on the city's north side for development. The RDC adopted a preliminary resolution for the bond Thursday, the first step in borrowing the money. The resolution covers hiring Barnes & Thornburg to do legal work for the bond. Redevelopment Director Dan Botich said the work includes connecting Burns Parkway to U.S. 12 from the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission office on Southport Road in the Ameriplex complex. The work is important not just for opening land for development but also for extending the Marquette Greenway, which will eventually stretch from Chicago to New Buffalo, Michigan. The roadway will become a boulevard similar to national park roads, Botich said. The $10 million would be the local share of the project's total cost. Botich is still looking for funds for the remainder, including a potential federal RAISE grant or state READI funding. Once the road is completed, the city could see a $450 million to $500 million investment in that 450 acres, Botich said. The state requires the city to have 'skin in the game,' he said, so the bond is needed. Further along in the process, specific projects will be listed, Botich said. Mayor Austin Bonta said the city investigated other avenues for funding the road and trails, and the bond seemed the most appropriate option. 'You don't have to go for the maximum,' Botich said, if other funding sources arise. The $10 million figure sets a maximum amount to borrow, just as the maximum interest rate for the 20-year bond would be 7%. Portage Township School Board member Wilma Vazquez, a nonvoting member of the RDC, asked about the RDC's outstanding bond obligations. That's going to be spelled out in a work session next month, and it's listed in the RDC's annual report, Botich said. The RDC is also looking at residential tax increment financing districts for future subdivisions, including Bauer Farm and Sandy Trail, Botich said. The RDC delayed action on the proposal for another month while the city works out details with developers. Botich said the TIF plan calls for the developers to pay a fee to the city up front that would be used for a variety of purposes, including raises for police officers approved by the City Council this month. That annual fee would disappear when the subdivision is considered fully built out, meaning 90% of the lots have been developed. The fee would vary for each subdivision. 'The numbers will be different because of the size of the neighborhoods and the investment involved,' Bonta explained. Developers hope to see the program details ironed out within 30 days, Botich said. The RDC also agreed to budget up to $300,000 next year for the north side sewer interceptor project. That helps pay for relocating the planned major sewer line away from north side acreage so the property retains its high dollar value. The RDC purchased that property shortly before the city went to bid on the project, utilities department General Superintendent Tracie Marshall said. The city had built in $500,000 for that contingency, but the actual cost turned out to be up to $800,000. With the RDC paying the extra amount next year, the work can go forward. 'I want to stress it's not because utilities did anything wrong,' Bonta said. The city had designed the interceptor in the most cost-efficient way, but running the interceptor down the middle of that parcel would devalue the property, he said.

Clay County unveils its 'roadmap toward a thriving, sustainable future'
Clay County unveils its 'roadmap toward a thriving, sustainable future'

Yahoo

time23-05-2025

  • Yahoo

Clay County unveils its 'roadmap toward a thriving, sustainable future'

Clay County government and partners on Wednesday unveiled their community plan, which they call 'a bold and collaborative roadmap to guide the county toward a thriving, sustainable future.' The plan was developed through extensive community engagement and input from regional stakeholders. It was made possible through a planning grant from the Wabash Valley Community Foundation and created with input from people across the region. RJL Solutions assisted with the grant application and helped foster regional collaboration. The Clay County Community Plan centers on four pillars: infrastructure, economic development, health and wellness, and community identity, according to a news release. It lays out actionable strategies to address challenges such as aging infrastructure, limited healthcare access, and workforce shortages, while capitalizing on regional growth, tourism potential, and community pride. Said Clay County Commissioner Paul Sinders, 'This plan reflects the voices of our community and lays out a clear path to improve the quality of life for everyone who calls Clay County home. By addressing infrastructure, housing, and broadband access, we're not just planning for tomorrow—we're preparing for decades of growth.' Other speakers at the rollout event included Beth Tevlin of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation and Nick McCollum of the Clay County Chamber of Commerce. The plan is the result of months of research, dialogue, and strategic planning. For more information or to view the Clay County Community Plan, visit

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