Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Adaptive Reuse topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Valparaiso Parks seeks partial rezone of Bonta Center property; park board accepted developer proposal
Summary
Valparaiso Parks asked Tuesday to rezone part of the Bonta Center property at 605 Beach Street from Public Space to Urban Residential to allow adaptive reuse of the historic building under a proposed purchase by Banta Building LLC.
Valparaiso Parks presented Tuesday to request rezoning of portions of the Bonta Center property at 605 Beach Street from Public Space to Urban Residential to enable adaptive reuse of the historic former school building.
Park leadership said they pursued an open RFP process and received one conforming proposal from Banta Building LLC (Matt and Wayne Welter). The parks board recommended the Welter proposal, which committed to several conditions the board required: the existing building not be demolished; the park retain ownership of the northern portion of the property (playground, green area and associated parking); and senior programming at the Bonta Center be maintained without interruption for a minimum of three years and for no longer than five years while the parks department relocates senior services.
The petitioner presented conceptual floor plans showing about seven residential units within the existing structure and renderings that preserve the building’s character. Parks staff said proceeds from any sale would go toward constructing a new senior/adult center at the former McGill site (909 Lafayette Street), with a target move-in around 2027.
Public comments included expressions of support for preserving the building’s character and concern from neighbors about security, the future tenant profile, continuity of senior services and policing resources. Parks staff said they have held outreach with neighborhood stakeholders, published an RFP and maintain a frequently asked questions page on the parks website. Park staff also said the lunch program with Pines Village and other senior services would continue and transfer to the new facility when it opens.
No zoning action was taken Tuesday; the public hearing was closed. The item will return to the commission in subsequent hearings as required by the rezoning and replat/vacation processes.
Why it matters: The proposal would transfer ownership of part of a historic public facility to a private developer while preserving neighborhood green space and continuing senior services during a transition. The plan ties the sale proceeds to a new senior center project and requires multiple approvals (rezone, alley vacation, replat) before completing a sale.
