Byron move could make way for development

By Linda Lipp | KPC News - Northwest News

The Allen County Board of Commissioners may be a couple weeks away from reaching an agreement to craft a master plan for redeveloping the 100 acres or more it owns at Lima and Carroll roads.

The property includes the nonprofit Byron Health Center, which leases its facility from the county.

Byron recently announced it is exploring the purchase of the former YWCA campus at 2000 N. Wells St. The potential move of its operation to a new site is a part of that - but, in any case, the commissioners have been discussing a sale for months.

“We want to move that property. We don’t want to be in the business of development,” Commissioner Nelson Peters said.

The property that includes Byron is on the north side of Carroll Road; the county owns 50 acres south of Carroll that might be sold for redevelopment as well.

The county property is in a high-profile location and is located in a part of the city that is growing rapidly. Peters envisions it becoming a mixed used development. The commissioners have been getting “nibbles and bites” from potential buyers, but want to develop a plan before entertaining any specific suggestions.

“If we allow one thing to happen, then we would have to build around that,” Peters said. “We’d rather have a full plan.”