Elkhart council approves $8 million forgivable loan for River District parking garage and mixed‑use project

The Elkhart City Council on second and final reading approved a proposal to use $8 million in Casopolis Street tax‑increment financing (TIF) funds as a forgivable loan to help build a 200‑space public parking garage wrapped by a $38 million mixed‑use development at 225 East Jackson.

Mike Hubert, director of development services for the City of Elkhart, told the council the River District implementation plan envisions “a thriving urban mixed use walkable community that is a downtown destination emphasizing the rivers and recreational amenities.” The proposed project, he said, is intended to leverage public investment to attract housing, office and retail to the Delta neighborhood and support the aquatic center and downtown hospitality businesses.

The developer’s plan calls for a 1.3‑acre site redevelopment including about 70 residential units and roughly 12,000 square feet of office/retail space wrapped around the parking structure. The developer was awarded about $9 million in Ready 2 state funds; Hubert said the city’s $8 million contribution would fund the parking structure while the…