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Redevelopment authority declares 2711 West 37th Avenue ‘blighted’ to enable possible purchase under proposed TIF
Summary
The commission agreed to find the property at 2711 West 37th Avenue (Regional Data Management LLC) blighted under the RDC statute (citing section 19.5) as the first step toward potential purchase and redevelopment within a planned tax-increment financing district; staff said appraisals and a willing-seller confirmation are needed before any acquisition.
The Hobart Redevelopment Commission on March 16 voted to declare the property at 2711 West 37th Avenue, owned by Regional Data Management LLC, blighted in an economic sense under the RDC statute cited in section 19.5, allowing the commission to proceed with the statutory process that can enable purchase as part of a planned tax-increment financing (TIF) strategy.
Attorney Ryan (speaker 8) explained that the RDC statute requires a determination of blight before the authority may purchase property through the expedited RDC process, and that a willing seller and appraisals must be in place prior to closing. "The determination that the property at 2711 West 37th Avenue owned by Regional Data Management LLC is blighted in an economic sense as stated in section 19.5 of the RDC statute," he recommended, and a motion to adopt that determination was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.
Commissioners described the site as an old, nonfunctional car-wash structure now used for commercial vehicle storage, with assessor's values and Google Street View images cited as evidence. Discussion addressed boundary questions for the proposed TIF district, potential funding sources (TIF borrowing options and possible city contributions), and the limitation that the RDC itself does not have eminent-domain authority; the City Council would hold that power and would need to be involved for condemnation-related actions.
Speaker 9, reflecting on the commission’s historical practices, said the RDC statute provides tools to streamline redevelopment compared with older, more prescriptive processes and can help expedite access to blighted parcels for broader corridor revitalization efforts. Staff said appraisals are pending and that the request before the commission was only the blight determination; purchase would proceed later if appraisals and sale terms align.
Next steps: staff will obtain and share appraisals and continue coordinating TIF boundary work and any required notifications to the Plan Commission and City Council. The commission did not undertake any acquisition at the meeting; it approved only the statutory blight finding as a procedural prerequisite.
