Portage Manor

Mark Huffman and some others forced from their Portage Manor homes first went to a former hotel in Fort Wayne. Friend Jenny Piontek says Huffman was happy to be back in South Bend.

Outgoing St. Joseph County Commissioner Derek Dieter says he hopes commissioners ultimately will preserve the 120-acre Portage Manor land from redevelopment.

St. Joseph County commissioners invite nonprofits, daycare operators and others in need to see whether they want any of the home's remaining contents for free

The

A Grand Rapids, Mich-based apartment developer has shown interest in the land

Records indicate there are more than 1,200 bodies buried in unmarked graves on the property

The items for auction range from old jail cells to furniture and commercial kitchen equipment.

Less than a month ago commissioners were in federal court, defending against a lawsuit from Portage Manor residents over closure of the home

The settlement marks a failure in the lawsuit's ultimate goal: stopping county commissioners Carl Baxmeyer and Derek Dieter from quickly closing Portage Manor

There could be only a few residents left in Portage Manor by the time the hearing comes July 25