Less than a month after they reached an out-of-court settlement with Portage Manor residents to close the home, St. Joseph County commissioners are taking the first steps to redevelop the property.
Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday will consider a proposal from Danch Harner Associates to provide planning and surveying work for the 181-acre county-owned property on South Bend’s far northwest side. The so-called Riverside Campus Project Area is bordered by Portage Avenue, Boland Drive, Riverside Drive and the Indiana Toll Road.
County planning staff is recommending that commissioners hire Danch Harner for the work, which is not to exceed about $82,000, according to the firm’s cost estimates. State law only requires competitive bidding on public works projects worth at least $150,000.
The proposal includes survey work for the entire project area, identifying any land improvements, and preparing a subdivision plat. It also includes attending public meetings required if the county or developers request any land use approvals.
County Commissioners Carl Baxmeyer and Derek Dieter recently closed Portage Manor, the county-owned home for the poor and disabled, saying it costs the county too much to operate and maintain. A group of residents sued the commissioners in federal court, alleging the closure violates several federal laws.
The home’s residents reached a cash settlement with commissioners July 24 to resolve the lawsuit out of court.
