MICHIGAN CITY, Indiana – After nearly five years of negotiations, amendments, and extensions, the Michigan City Redevelopment Commission (RDC) has voted to deny any further extensions of the SOLA development agreement and allow the agreement to expire as of December 31, 2025, should all remaining milestones not be met.
The SOLA project, proposed for the former You Are Beautiful site, has been under an exclusive development agreement since 2020. Throughout that period, the City and RDC worked collaboratively and in good faith with the development team through multiple agreements and extensions in an effort to support the project’s advancement and secure the financing necessary to reach closing. Despite those efforts, the project has not achieved financial close.
Michigan City granted its most recent extension in 2024 recognizing both the complexity of large-scale mixed-use development and broader market challenges. As the current closing
deadline approaches, and with financing still not secured, the RDC determined that allowing the agreement to expire is the appropriate and responsible course of action.
“From the outset, our goal has been to see this site successfully redeveloped in a way that benefits Michigan City residents,” said Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch. “The City and RDC
devoted significant time, staff capacity, and resources to support this project over several years. Ultimately, however, development agreements must be guided by clear milestones and the ability
to reach financial close.”
Mayor Nelson Deuitch emphasized that the decision reflects consistency, not a shift, in the City’s approach.
“Our priorities have remained steady throughout this process: protecting public resources, honoring our commitments, and advancing projects that can move from concept to completion,” she said. “When a project is unable to meet those requirements after extensive effort and multiple extensions, it is our responsibility to acknowledge that reality and move forward.”
Former Mayor Sheila Brillson Matias, Chair of the Redevelopment Commission, underscored the Commission’s stewardship role.
“The RDC and City team made every reasonable effort over several years to support the SOLA project and to respond to the developer’s requests for additional time and modifications,” Matias said. “At the same time, our obligation is to ensure that redevelopment efforts are feasible, responsible, and positioned to deliver tangible outcomes for the community. Allowing this agreement to expire reflects that obligation.”
Over the course of the agreement, the City executed multiple development agreements and amendments at the developer’s request, each with clearly defined expectations and deadlines. Those milestones ultimately were not met.
As Michigan City continues to experience increased interest and investment, the City and RDC remain committed to working with development partners who are prepared to advance projects
through closing and construction. The former SOLA site will be evaluated for future redevelopment opportunities consistent with long-standing City goals, including workforce housing, affordability, and sustainable growth.
“This decision brings clarity and closure to a lengthy process that spanned across multiple City administrations,” Mayor Nelson Deuitch said. “It allows the City and RDC to focus on projects that are ready to move forward and deliver meaningful benefits for Michigan City residents.”