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Warsaw Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner presented his request Wednesday to the Redevelopment Commission for a proposal from Browning Day to create a residential master plan targeting the south side of Warsaw.
The commission OK’d that, as well as his request to work with Logan Properties to create a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the development of part of the Warsaw Chemical building on Argonne Road/Durbin Street.
“Over the years, we’ve created the Southern Residential TIF (tax increment financing) district, and the intent was to create housing opportunities in that area,” Skinner said. “And, this request is for Browning Day to complete a study down there that would give us, more or less, a marketing piece to go out and try to find developers to create housing on the south side.”
He said there’s obviously a lot that has to happen with that.
“We have land down there that we have to obtain. Land has to be annexed in, all those things, but the intent of this study is to create a marketing piece that we would take to developers and also to have a plan for infrastructure, identifying what the infrastructure needs are in that area, connecting road ... so identifying all those things that we need to look at in this area as we go out and try to market that project down there,” Skinner said.
He acknowledged the city has had some issues with getting housing on the south side, but by going through this study and process, “we’ll be able to better get this out to potential developers and market those properties for future housing.”
The study will include a mixture of different types of housing.
Councilman Mike Klondaris asked if the area included the area from Prairie Street to CR 200S and Ind. 15 South to Country Club Road. Skinner said that was the primary target area, but that might change or be redefined. The commission would get a final master plan document by about the end of September.
A total cost for the study was not mentioned, but a copy of the proposal states “the architect proposes to provide the above scope of services for a lump sum fee of $53,000, excluding expenses, as noted below.” Skinner said the cost for the study will come out of the Southern Residential TIF District.
Later, Skinner presented a letter of intent from Logan Properties for the potential re-development of the former Warsaw Chemical site.
“What you have before you is a proposal for the north portion of the Warsaw Chemical site,” Skinner said. The intent of the letter of intent is for the commission to work with Logan Properties to create a MOU and ultimately developing a project on that section of the Warsaw Chemical site.
Martin Huttenlocker, owner of Logan Properties, told the commission, “The idea is to develop kind of a phase I on what would be the east half of the site.”
He said the current site would be demolished and construction would start fresh. He said it would be the entire north portion. Huttenlocker said he, along with others, toured the site and determined the best possibility for developing it would be to start from scratch.
“Phase I would be the east side of the property with parking in the center, and it would be 50,000 square feet roughly, and it would be 5,000- to 10,000-square-foot units, so multi-tenant kind of incubator, flex-time space. It would be considered a shell building, but a little more than just a metal box. It’s got a little more architectural features for the area ... and, again, it would be smaller units, so 10,000 square feet is kind of what’s designed on the floor plans you have, and the idea would be we could divide those in half if needed, so anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet, so five to 10 units,” Huttenlocker explained.
Commission member Joe Thallemer asked what the Redevelopment Commission’s and the city’s role would be with the property.
“So we own it,” Skinner responded. “So our role is to re-develop it. So, his proposal, as he kind of spelled out the project, so what he’s proposing is 50,000-square-foot multi-tenant space that would be phase I on the north piece of Warsaw Chemical, with the potential, as that develops out and builds out and is occupied, there could be an additional building on that site. Right now, the MOU would be for that north property, not the south property.”
He said the city’s portion would be to donate the property to the project and tax abatements. Logan Properties’ portion would be to build the building and fill it with tenants. Skinner said the city nor the Redevelopment Commission would build or own the building. Logan Properties would be the owner.
“The only thing that we will require is 50,000-square-foot multi-tenant space,” Skinner stated.
He said all he needed Wednesday was for the Redevelopment Commission to approve for him to move forward with Logan Properties on the MOU so Logan Properties can get moving towards what they need to do to get moving forward.
Thallemer asked Skinner if he was envisioning assembly space in the building or what. Skinner said light manufacturing and smaller machine shop-type companies, growing companies that need space that the city currently doesn’t have.
After further discussion, the commission unanimously approved for Skinner to move forward with Logan Properties.
For more about Logan Properties, visit their website at https://www.logan-properties.com/
In other business, the commission approved:
• An amendment to the economic development MOU between the commission and Team Fab LLC for the possible development of a Buffalo Street project. Skinner said the only change was the dates. The original MOU ran through April 14, but Team Fab requested and Skinner supports extending that date to Dec. 31, 2026. Team Fab is Frank and Becky Levinson.
• A joint resolution of the city of Warsaw Redevelopment Commission and the Pierceton Redevelopment Commission for workforce housing, similar to the one that was approved previously for Claypool.
“They’re working with the Housing Resource Hub, Mission Build, 720 Club. So they will get OIRI (Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative) funding to look at initiating a development in Pierceton, and ... because we were in the OIRI documentation as the authorizing agency for those funds, that’s what we’re acting as. This is not our project, we will not manage the funds. OIRI will do that, in conjunction with Pierceton. We’re just creating a resolution that will justify or verify to the state where those funds are going,” Skinner explained.
• The long list of claims, as presented. Skinner said most of the claims are a lot of bond payments that fall on this month and the administration of those bonds.
The next Redevelopment Commission is tentatively set for 4 p.m. June 15 in the Warsaw Police Department Training Center.
