Vincennes Mayor Joe Yochum presented members of the City’s Redevelopment Commission yesterday with a list of future projects for them to consider.
Yochum says he would like to see money allocated to a grant program to assist downtown merchants with maintaining their properties. R-D-C member Tim Smith agrees that something should be done preserve the older buildings downtown. However, Smith says if the city is allocating money for such projects than building owners should be held accountable for maintaining their properties.
Smith cited the recent demolition of the former Kathy’s Creations at 401 Main Street as an example. The building had fallen into disrepair and was in danger of collapsing. The city moved to condemn the structure which was demolished. The property owner claimed she didn’t have the money to make repairs. So the city was left on the hook for the demolition costs. The R-D-C ended up footing the bill which totaled 200-thousand dollars. A lien has been placed on the property so that if its ever sold the city would be able to recover their costs for the demolition work.
Also on the mayor’s list were are improvements along Main Street from 22nd Street to Richard Bauer Drive. The city has made several attempts at obtaining state funding for the work, but so far they haven’t been successful.
Tim Smith says board members are compiling their own list of projects. With the city’s TIF zone set to expire they need to sit down with the Mayor and City Council to set some priorities
The R-D-C receives 1-point-7 million dollars annually through the TIF zone. The money can be used for infrastructure improvements within the TIF Zone.
The Board’s Accountant Wayne Thoemann reported that the R-D-C will be reimbursed approximately 2-point-3 million dollars for work on the 2nd Street. That’s after the city agreed to exchange federal dollars for state funding to complete the project which had been languishing on the drawing board for several years.
Thoemann also reported that the R-D-C is set to retire the bonds which funded improvements along Hart Street and build Bierhaus Boulevard. He says as of January 1st…the R-D-C will be debt free.