Warsaw Redevelopment Agrees To Habitat Purchase
WARSAW — The Warsaw Redevelopment Commission is working with Kosciusko County Habitat for Humanity to purchase five lots on Market Street.
The empty lots had originally been donated for the organization to build on, however, the commission felt that was not the right use for that land, so they approached Habitat about purchasing the land instead, according to City Planner Jeremy Skinner.
“In conversation with them we did not feel that was the best location for that,” Skinner said.
The commission had two separate appraisals done on the property and offered Habitat a price based on those assessments, which the organization agreed to.
The commission plans to look at the properties for a redevelopment project and is in contact with a developer out of Indianapolis about the possibility of senior housing. The same developer has done two other developments in Warsaw in the past.
Plans are to apply for Stellar Communities funding for the properties.
“Having that property gives us the opportunity, as Jeremy said, to package that for development and apply for tax credit financing or other ways to finance that project,” Mayor Joe Thallemer commented.
The area in question is part of the Market Street Corridor, which has been targeted for improvement for some time.
“As we’ve discussed over the last three or four years, that area needs to be improved and it’s going to get done one way or another,” Thallemer said.
Meanwhile, the commission is working with Habitat to help them find alternate locations for the houses they are planning.