GOSHEN — Plans for a new upscale apartment complex at the former Goshen Inn property on the city’s south side were made official Tuesday following a meeting of the Goshen Redevelopment Commission.

During the meeting, commission members approved the sale of the former Goshen Inn property to Emmert Group Properties LLC at a cost of $88,600.

Based out of Brazil, Indiana, Emmert Group Properties includes a lumber company, a real estate company, a retirement community and a property management company managing over 150 rental units including apartments, duplexes, single-family homes and commercial properties.

The Emmert Group proposal was one of five separate bid packages received by the commission during its June 14 meeting. The bids were received as part of a recent request for redevelopment proposals for the former Goshen Inn property at 1375 Lincolnway East on the city’s south side.

Upon receipt of the five proposals, a review committee was created to review all of the proposals and interview the preferred candidates. The review committee then met to discuss the proposals and Emmert Group Properties LLC was chosen as the best fit for the long-vacant property.

According to Brad Emmert, co-owner of Emmert Group Properties, the company’s plan for the former Goshen Inn property is to demolish the existing buildings on the site to make way for the construction of 100 upscale apartments, approximately a third of which will have private garages. The development will also include a club house with amenities for tenants to enjoy, he said.

“We hope that we’ll bring a nice community to Goshen, and obviously a nice property tax base to Goshen,” Emmert said of the development. “We feel like Goshen is the ideal city for the product we’ve been developing.”

Total investment for the property has been estimated at about $7.5 million. The project also includes an option for a second phase of development, which would add an additional 62 units to the site.

Construction on the project has an estimated start date of early 2017.

“The Emmert Group is real impressive. I like what they’re bringing to Goshen,” said Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, speaking in support of the project Tuesday. “I’m looking forward to seeing this property taken care of.”

The commission agreed, and a motion to authorize the sale of the property to Emmert Group was approved unanimously.

The former Goshen Inn property has been vacant for a number of years and has long been considered a blighted property.

The property had been scheduled to be sold at tax sale by the county in the spring of 2013, but an agreement between the county and the Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety allowed the county to transfer the property to the city through the issuance of tax sale certificates. That agreement was approved by the board in May 2013, but the actual issuance of tax certificates was delayed for more than a year due to appeals by the property owner.

The property has sat vacant since the owner, Ken Patel, was murdered at the inn during a renovation project by one of his temporary employees back in 2011. Since then, the property has fallen into disrepair and has been a frequent target of vandalism and criminal activity.

Source: Goshen News