MISHAWAKA, IN (WNDU) - It’s been part of the local landscape since 1853, but time appears to be running out for the 100 Center in Mishawaka.
The building owners are being fined $250 per day for failing to maintain the property. At a Mishawaka Code Enforcement hearing earlier this month, it was determined that no meaningful progress had been made and that the owners willfully failed to address previously cited problems such as replacing all cracked and broken windows and repairing walkways to building entrances.
The unpaid fines now total more than $173,000 and counting.
On one hand, the 100 Center is listed as available for sale, and it’s listed on page 232 of the READI grant application for the north central Indiana region as part of a project to return the property back to its former glory.
The project idea is one of ten submitted by the City of Mishawaka. It involves building a parking garage on the premises and demolishing some additions to the main 100 Center building to better link the property to Mishawaka’s River Walk.
When asked for clarification, Mishawaka City Planner Ken Prince today told 16 News Now that it’s only a concept and that the city “would not submit the 100 Center unless a developer was on board and had the ability and the vision to do a major restoration.”
“For whatever reason, there’s just a problem finding the right use mix and price point for the property and so we’re hoping that somebody steps forward that has the capacity to take it on and bring some new life to it,” said Todd Zeiger with Indiana Landmarks.
The 100 Center has been listed once again, this time, it stands among Indiana’s ten most endangered historic landmarks.
“It’s a touch point for the city. It’s one of the city’s last and oldest remaining industrial buildings. Times have changed, others have been removed,” Zeiger explained. “There are some incentives out there that could be brought to it. There’s a fairly significant rehab tax credit that could help on the cost of re novation.”
The city has scheduled another Code Enforcement hearing on the matter for March 2rd where additional civil penalties and/ or entry of an order directing the city to enter upon the property and bring it into compliance at the respondent’s expense.
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