St. Joseph County parks seek $3 million in TIF funds for capital projects

The park needs road repairs, improvements for public shelters, an overhaul for a maintenance shop and storage building and general improvements throughout the grounds, according to a list Kirkwood presented to the St. Joseph County Redevelopment Commission. The amount requested to do the work is $500,000 each year for the next six years.

The repairs are necessary to retain visitors and events, Kirkwood contends. Last year, before some repairs were made to the pavement at the entrance to the park from a one-time county appropriation, a popular car show and a family gathering were both canceled because of the condition of the roads and public spaces.

The TIF district that would be tapped for the parks request is the county's largest — a large swath of land surrounding I/N Tek and I/N Kote in southwestern St. Joseph County, known as St. Joseph County TIF District No. 2. TIF districts capture the entire property tax levy — including what otherwise would go to such entities as parks and libraries — on new investment within specific boundaries for improvements aimed to further economic development. St. Joseph County Parks would have received an extra $30,000 last year, if not for this TIF district, according to the auditor's office.