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Like the county council last week, the Warsaw Common Council on Monday OK’d the continuance of all current tax abatements with their approval of all the compliance forms (CF-1).
Warsaw Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner presented them, and then the council approved them in one motion.
“I don’t think there’s any tax abatement on here that is new to you. So most of these are at least two to 10 years old,” he stated.
802 Center LP has the affordable senior housing project at 802 E. Center St. They made an investment of $13.7 million to construct a new 72-unit senior housing facility. It’s in its fifth year of the granted 10-year tax abatement.
“And all of these CF-1s are not for this year. You already approved the CF-1s for this year. These are for 2027,” Skinner reminded the council.
Flexaust Company Inc. has two tax abatements, one from 2013 and the other from 2017.
The 2013 tax abatement, for 1510 Armstrong Road, is for personal property Flexaust acquired over a four-year period, so some of it is in its 10th year, while some may have a couple years left. Skinner said they made the investment in personal property and added 99 new employees from 2013 to date when they estimated to add 40.
The 2017 tax abatement for 602 Leiter Drive, 1605 W. Center St. and 1510 Armstrong Road is for real and personal property. They estimated adding 15 new employees and have added 78. It’s in its eighth year of abatement.
The abatement for 3350 Lake City Highway, requested by AJM LLC, was for Rural King. AJM spent $1.6 million to refurbish property that had been vacant for three years. They’ve hired 33 employees since that vacant building was turned back on to the tax rolls, Skinner said. They’re on their fourth year of their abatement.
There were two different West Hill Development LLC abatements for Patrick Industries Inc. at 1445 Polk Drive. One was for the first shell building and then they added on to that building. The first abatement, in its eighth year, was for $3.2 million on new equipment and Patrick Industries added 204 employees at that location. The original shell building is in its 10th year of abatement, which had a construction cost of $6.2 million. The real property abatement for phase II of that is in its seventh year.
For the West Hill Development LLC abatement for the Banner Medical property at 1295 Polk Drive, they estimated 76 new employees over the next five years and currently added 34. They’re in their 10th year of abatement for real property.
West Hill Investment Group LLC’s real property abatement at 1195 Polk Drive is for the Medartis building, the second shell building in the Warsaw Technology Park. The $8 million building is about 55,000 square feet. They’re in their seventh year of abatement.
West Hill Development LLC’s 10-year abatement on real property is for the Mentor Media building at 1395 Polk Drive. It’s the third shell building at the tech park. About $11.3 million is the estimated cost for the approximate 101,000-square-foot building. It’s in its third year.
Texmo Precision Castings US Inc., 596 E. CR 200N, was originally granted a tax abatement by the county but then annexed into the city with real and personal property abatements. They spent about $4.7 million on real and personal property improvements, and spent around $2.8 million in real property and $2.4 million in personal property improvements. They hired 56 employees since 2016. They’re in their eighth year.
Wildman Business Group LLC was granted a 10-year tax abatement on personal property at 800 S. Buffalo St. They spent $2.1 million on personal property equipment, and the abatement is in its 10th year.
Buffalo Street LLC, formerly Wildman Business Group LLC, was granted a 10-year tax abatement on real property at 800 S. Buffalo St. They made more improvements, Skinner said, and hired an additional 49 employees since filing in 2022. They’re in their fourth year of abatement.
Zimmer Inc., 1800 W. Center St., was granted a 10-year tax abatement on personal property about four years ago. They have since spent $29.9 million on new equipment.
Biomet Inc. and Subsidiaries, 56 E. Bell Drive, was granted a tax abatement in 2014 by Kosciusko County, but annexed in by the city, for $28 million in new personal property. They spent about $16 million and the abatement is in its ninth year.
Biomet Manufacturing LLC, 56 E. Bell Drive, was granted a 10-year tax abatement on personal property for spending around $7 million in new equipment. They’re in their third year of abatement.
For the former Arnolt property at 2525 Durbin St. that is another affordable housing project, 2525 LP was granted a 10-year abatement. The estimated construction cost was $15.5 million for the 60 affordable family apartment units. They’re in their third year of abatement.
Danco Medical, 905 Executive Drive, spent $2.1 million on real improvements and $4.2 million in new manufacturing equipment. They’ve hired five new employees to date and are in their second year of abatement.
Lake City Heat Treating Corp., 2427 N. Boeing Drive, applied in 2019 for personal property improvements estimated at around $4.8 million. They spent around $4.4 million in personal property improvements and hired 10 additional employees since 2019. Skinner said they’re in their sixth year of abatement.
Legrand AV, formerly Milestone AV Technologies LLC, 3100 N. Detroit St., spent roughly $266,000 in personal property improvements and estimated adding 30 new employees, but currently haven’t added any to date, Skinner said. They’re in their 10th year of abatement.
The last abatement was for Banner Medical Innovations Inc., 1295 Polk Drive, who spent over $4 million in personal property and have hired 37 new employees since starting production in late 2016. They’re in their 10th year of abatement.
Councilwoman Diane Quance made the motion to continue all the abatements as presented, with Councilman Mike Klondaris seconding the motion. The motion passed 7-0.
In other business, the council:
• Approved a plat for the splitting of Block B - west of the intersection of Stag Street and Buck Trail - into two lots within the Paths of Deerfield planned unit development for the developer, Biggs Inc., to build two single-family residential homes, as presented by City Planner Justin Taylor and the developer. The Warsaw Plan Commission last week sent a favorable recommendation for the subdivision of the property.
• Heard an annual update from Dr. Nate Bosch, Creighton Brothers Endowed Director for Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams, on what the center has been doing.
• Approved the annual resolution for the investment of city funds, as presented by Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen.
