Home Care In New Carlisle, IN

That’s the question city leaders and the community are weighing after a June fire heavily damaged the more than century-old structure.

City leaders say demolition is not what they want. But they say unless someone comes forward within the next month with a plan to redevelop the building, they may have no other choice.

Could the historic Lafayette Building in South Bend be saved? That’s the question city leaders and the community are weighing after a June fire heavily damaged the more than century-old structure. (WSBT photo)

A full rehabilitation could cost up to $20 million.

“Oh, it's heartbreaking,” said Joseph Molnar, South Bend Department of Community Investment Deputy Director.

After a fire in early June heavily damaged the historic Lafayette Building, city leaders are facing a difficult decision: demolish it or find a way to save it.

Nearly 90 firefighters from multiple departments battled the flames.

The roof is now essentially gone, and the five-story building is left with extensive water damage.

On Thursday, the Redevelopment Commission voted to move forward with demolition if it cannot find a viable redevelopment opportunity within the next month or so.

“You'd have to put a lot to even try to get it to where it wouldn't get worse over the winter. And that doesn't make sense if you're perhaps not going to be able to keep it anyway. Like I said, it's beyond just put up a little tarp or some plywood. It's, you know, almost the whole roof is gone. Significantly, windows are gone,” said Marcus Ellison, Redevelopment Commission member.

Built in 1901, the Lafayette Building was South Bend’s first five-story office building.

It also holds a place in the city’s Civil Rights history. It once housed the law office of South Bend’s first black councilman and pioneering attorney.

City leaders say they cannot allow the building to become a public-safety hazard.

“So, I'm the last person who wants to see it come down. But it would be a public safety hazard for it to exist in its current state through the winter,” said Molnar. “We've been working with partners both local and national partners and it's going to be a big lift. So, we're going to see if we can try to do something,” said Molnar.

But with a full rehabilitation expected to cost more than $20 million, neighbors acknowledge saving the landmark will be a major lift.

“I personally would love to see it restored if that was an option. I know those are major investments, and that's not such a simple solution all the time. So, we will be anxiously anticipating the outcome,” said Lauren Smyth, St. Margaret's House Development and Strategy Senior Director.

The demolition of the building is not certain and the city says they're doing everything they can to try and secure redevelopment for the building before winter arrives.

Clark County voters will decide the fate of a New Carlisle income tax increase and a Springfield natural gas proposal on Nov. 3.

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 5.

Residents will vote to increase the city income tax rate by 0.5%, from the current 1.5% to 2%, to provide funds for fire and emergency medical services expenses.

City Manager Donald Hall explained that revenue from existing fire and ambulance levies has “not kept pace” with the rising costs of providing those services, driven by population growth, higher call volumes and inflation.

He said costs related to these services have continued to increase because of higher expenses for operational supplies, equipment and other resources needed to provide fire and EMS services.

“The combination of rising costs and increased demand has created a growing need for additional funding to maintain these services,” Hall said. “The proposed income tax increase would provide additional funding to help maintain the current level of fire and emergency medical services.”

The city has traditionally used property tax levies to help fund fire and EMS services, Hall said. The city has a 3-mill, five-year property tax levy for fire/EMS services for tax years 2023-27.

If the income tax increase is approved, council doesn’t intend to seek an increase in property taxes or renewal of the existing levy.

“The proposed income tax represents an alternative source of funding for fire/EMS services. If approved by the voters, the additional 0.5% income tax would be used solely for fire and emergency medical services expenses,” Hall said.

Fire and ambulance operations are currently funded by five separate levies passed between 2004 and 2023: a 0.5-mill and a 1-mill perpetual fire levy, a 1-mill perpetual ambulance levy, and two combined fire/EMS levies (1.5-mill and 3-mill). Capital improvements are funded separately by a 1-mill fire levy and a 0.5-mill ambulance levy, both passed in the mid-2000s.

The New Carlisle Fire Division is a part-time and paid-per-call department with 50 personnel across two stations — one in the city and another in Elizabeth Twp., according to the city’s website. The division has three medic units, two engines and a 175-foot ladder truck.

Springfield voters will decide whether to join a natural gas aggregation program, similar to the city’s electric aggregation through the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council. NOPEC would likely be the same aggregator for natural gas.

NOPEC is the largest governmental aggregator in the U.S.

The aggregator has agreements with more than 250 communities in Ohio and uses that fact to negotiate better gas and electric rates and terms, according to the organization.

“We offer competitive rates and more product choices than any other aggregation without the tricky fees or contracts that for-profit energy companies use,” NOPEC said on its website.

Like the electric program, the gas aggregation would be an opt-out option, meaning residents would be automatically enrolled unless they choose to obtain their own gas.

The city has been part of the electric program for more than a decade, and when it first joined the program, gas prices were much lower, the city said previously.

If residents approve the aggregation, the city could start a program as early as March of next year. When the city selects a natural gas provider, a letter would go to every eligible household in the city to inform them they will be automatically part of the program unless they’d like to fill out a form and opt out.

“We’ve all seen the rising energy costs; electricity has gone through the roof and thank goodness we have an aggregation program to help stabilize those prices for our citizens,” Springfield Commissioner Andy Rigsbee said at a July meeting.

“Gas — I never thought we’d see something like this — but gas prices are also going through the roof, and anything that we can do to stabilize those prices for the citizens and let people manage their budgets is a good thing.”

Also on the ballot will be the Springfield natural gas program.

New Carlisle Elementary will remain closed through at least Friday, Sept. 25, after air test results revealed lingering impacts from last week’s school fire.

The Sept. 16 fire at 1203 Kennison Ave. began when a lightning strike sent smoke through the building, alerting custodians.

Superintendent Paula Crew previously said conversations with health officials, adjusters, and outside companies revealed the extent of the cleanup, which requires an industrial hygienist to test air and surface quality.

The air clearance test results came back Monday afternoon, which guided the scope of the work that needs to be done before students and staff can return, Crew said.

The school’s north side, housing second through fourth grades, requires air duct cleaning, filter and coil replacements, and duct work encapsulation.

Crew said this cleaning process started Wednesday, Sept. 23, and is anticipated to be done by Sunday night. If so, those students will return to school Monday, Sept. 28.

Crew noted the three self-contained resource rooms for Mrs. Everhart, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. McMahon on the south side of the building will be moved to the north side of the building starting Monday as well.

The south side of the school that houses fifth-graders is considered to be the contaminated area, as test results showed the presence of soot, Crew said.

“This will take much more comprehensive cleaning; the removal and replacement of all ceiling tiles in the classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms, office area and the library, and a thorough cleaning in the grid between the ceiling and the roof,” she said. “Air sampling/testing will be done once all of this work is completed on the south side to make sure it is safe for students and staff to return to this area of the building.”

The timeframe to complete this process will take four to six weeks, so Crew said they’re working to secure five mobile classrooms to be on the elementary school property to house the fifth-grade classrooms. However, a timeline for the mobile units remains unclear as officials complete delivery, utility setup, plumbing and permitting.

Crew said they do have a plan B in place to temporarily move the fifth-grade classrooms to Medway Elementary School if the mobile classrooms aren’t ready beginning Monday when the other students return. Medway’s third-grade hallway has ample classrooms available to accommodate the fifth-graders.

“Our goal will be to bring back our fifth-graders from Medway to the mobile classrooms as soon as the units are ready,” she said.

School leaders are working with First Onsite, a property restoration contractor assigned by the insurance carrier, which specializes in restoration after events such as building fires.

Crew said they hope to have information on the mobile classrooms this week and will share more information as it becomes available.

Move made as a result of air impact test results following fire.