SOUTH BEND, Ind., Feb. 25, 2026 — The future of the Portage Manor property drew new questions Wednesday after St. Joseph County Surveyor Derek Dieter said county commissioners told him they intended to transfer the land to the City of South Bend, while South Bend Mayor James Mueller, according to Dieter, was unaware of such plans.
At a noon press conference at the County-City Building, Surveyor Dieter and ecologist Steve Sass described what they characterized as conflicting signals between county and city officials and called on the St. Joseph County commissioners to clarify their plans for the site.
Dieter said he and Mr. Sass met with the commissioners on Nov. 25, 2025. During that meeting, he said, Carl Baxmeyer told them the commissioners had decided to give all of the Portage Manor land, except for the cemetery, to the city.
“The confusing thing to me,” Dieter said, “they told us, face to face, they were giving all the property to the city of South Bend.”
Dieter said he later contacted Mayor Mueller. According to Dieter, the mayor said the city had not been in recent discussions with the commissioners about a transfer. In a February text message, Dieter said, the mayor wrote there was “no idea on what commissioners will do or will not do if anything at all.”
Portage Manor, on South Bend’s northwest side, formerly operated as a county nursing facility. The tract once exceeded 200 acres but has been reduced over decades through transfers for other public uses, including infrastructure and recreational facilities. Dieter said roughly 99 acres remain central to the current discussion.
Dieter and Mr. Sass urged the commissioners to obtain an appraisal of the vacant building and to establish a public process for considering proposals. Over the past three years, Dieter said, residents have suggested potential uses including educational and commercial projects.
Mr. Sass focused on the land itself. “The pulse of the community is to keep this land as open space,” he said, adding that development proposals he has heard have largely come from elected officials rather than residents.
“There’s almost 19,000 people (who) live within three kilometers of Portage Manor“, Mr. Sass said, describing the property as accessible by regional bike trails and public transit. He also noted that portions of the land, previously farmed, are now fallow and have seen the spread of invasive plant species.
“We’ve really left no stone unturned in terms of trying to find somebody who was interested in stewarding it and keeping it in public use.” Mr. Sass said.
Dieter said that if no public entity moves to preserve the land, he and Mr. Sass would consider forming a nonprofit organization to pursue conservation efforts.
Whether the Portage Manor property is transferred, redeveloped or preserved now rests with the county commissioners, who have not outlined a timetable or formal proposal for the site.
Logan Foster
Logan Foster founded Redress South Bend and reports on local government and public records in South Bend and St. Joseph County. He is 31 years old and is majoring in finance. He is a Cleveland sports fan and a longtime season ticket holder of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
