St. Joseph County commissioners President Carl Baxmeyer says commissioners have met behind closed doors to discuss selling the former Portage Manor site, and they could make an announcement soon.
At a Coffee With Commissioners event Saturday at the county library’s Francis Branch, several people asked the status of Portage Manor, the former county home the commissioners closed two years ago over community opposition. Baxmeyer disclosed that commissioners had met to discuss transferring the property to someone else in executive session.
An audience member who had opposed the closure urged commissioners to involve the public in deciding what to do with the property, prompting this reply from Baxmeyer.
“Well the community certainly had a lot to say when the Portage Manor was closed," Baxmeyer said. "Now it’s a question of how do we go forward with that.”
Baxmeyer refused to say much more but he did note that the 120-acre site, while county-owned, sits within the city of South Bend.
"We could potentially sell it. We would have to take proposals on the sale. We could transfer it to another group but if it’s not the city, that would have to go to the council.”
A spokeswoman for the city declined WVPE’s interview request.
