Portage Manor

During a two-hour public hearing Tuesday, people overwhelmingly opposed St. Joseph County selling the former Portage Manor county home property off to for-profit developers who would build things like housing.

St. Joseph County Commissioners thought they were ready to turn the land over to a Catholic school in October but then started hearing from others interested in the land, so they're following state law on how to dispose of the property.

St. Thomas More Academy officials say taking over the former Portage Manor county home will let them consolidate their three buildings downtown into one space.

Republican St. Joseph County Commissioners President Carl Baxmeyer would only say that commissioners have made no decisions on what to do with the Portage Manor property.

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