A new community center in South Bend — the Nexus Center — is getting tax credits as it looks to expand its services.
A brainchild of area doctors LaRissa Chism Buggs and her husband David Buggs, the center plans to offer health, mental health and financial literacy services with the goal of reducing violence and generating better health outcomes in the community.
The couple have already raised nearly $2.5 million for the project and with the new tax abatements, the site could soon see a new commercial kitchen, an auditorium and an amphitheater.
“We want to build upon a number of areas and that’s why the tax abatement is really key,” Chism Buggs said.
Chism Buggs told South Bend Common Council members that Goodwill is leasing some space in the building and Nexus Center partners are offering some free mental health services to residents in the Motels 4 Now program.
The abatements apply to the upcoming improvements over the next nine years and are estimated to save the nonprofit around $100,000. COVID-related supply chain issues delayed the project. Now, documents show the final phase of construction is slated on 20,000-feet of the building to install a kitchen and other community spaces, including an auditorium, an event center and a health clinic.
In total the building, which was formerly occupied by Praxair, is 37,000 square feet.
The tax breaks were approved unanimously by South Bend’s common council and come after the city’s redevelopment commission gave the Buggs’ $300,000 in 2021 to help with construction costs. At Tuesday night's meeting, council members praised both Buggs for their patience and commitment to the city.
"I went into the Nexus Center when they first started it," said 1st District council member Canneth Lee. "Dr. Buggs and Pastor Buggs are people with vision. Sometimes people can't see beyond brick and mortar. ... But they made it happen."
Though the abatements received anonymous support this week, David Buggs recalled that he and his wife were denied abatements previously due to what he called miscommunication with previous city staffers.
"I am still a bit concerned about the difficult nature of this process when we began," David Buggs said. "The way it started left us in a bad situation. But hopefully we can move along and get this done and maybe we can revisit taxes at a later time."
