The St. Joseph County Council on Tuesday granted a tax abatement to Weigel Broadcasting Co., which plans to invest more than $2 million in a broadcast facility for local ABC affiliate WBND-TV.
The resolution passed by a vote of 7-0, with council member Dale DeVon, R-District C, absent.
Council President Rafael Morton, D-District D, an employee of WSBT-TV, abstained from the vote to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
The property, which contains a single building formerly occupied by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, is located on Generations Drive at Foundation Center, an office park at the corner of Indiana 23 and Douglas Road.
The abatement is good for three years on real property and five years on personal property, which in this case includes about $2.2 million worth of telecommunications equipment, computers and computer software.
Addressing the qualifications for abatement, Chip Lewis, an attorney representing Weigel, listed three factors:
The building has been on the market without a buyer since 2006;
The immediate area includes many undeveloped lots; and
The property sits adjacent to the Toll Road, which places limits on development.
Lewis also noted that Weigel plans to hire as many as 35 people to staff the new facility.
During discussion, council member Dan Herbster, R-District F, asked Lewis to provide clarification regarding the value of the property. The current assessed valuation is $2.9 million, but documents submitted as part of the abatement process estimate the market value after renovation at $1.6 million.
In response, Lewis said the current assessed valuation is under appeal, noting Weigel paid just $1.5 million for the property last fall.
One person spoke in opposition to the abatement during the period for public comment, insisting it would increase the tax burden on county residents.
For his part, WBND-TV general manager Jeff Guy said the abatement would allow the station to increase its investment in the property, currently estimated at about $2.25 million, by as much as $500,000.
Guy said the station hopes to begin broadcasting from the new facility within the next few months, as soon as renovations are complete.
In related business, the council voted 7-0 to approve a petition for special use to construct a 50-foot communications tower on the property, which is zoned commercial but sits within 500 feet of a residential district.
Morton once again abstained from the vote.
In addition to WBND-TV (ABC-57), Weigel, which is based in Chicago, also owns WCWW (CW-25) and WMYS (MyNetworkTV-69).
