Huntingburg Council Orders Appraisals to Prepare Maple Park Block for Redevelopment

The Huntingburg City Council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to obtain two to three appraisals for the long‑vacant Maple Park property, a full city block that has sat empty since portions of the former school campus were removed. Council action on Feb. 24 cleared what city officials described as the first administrative step toward soliciting proposals and eventual redevelopment of the block.

The resolution directs the city to secure two to three independent appraisals and to brief appraisers on stormwater restrictions and other limitations affecting the land. Appraisers will evaluate multiple scenarios, including whether the city should market the parcel as one large lot or divide it into smaller parcels for separate sales or development, and the appraisal results will establish a price baseline the council can use when issuing a request for proposals.

Councilman Tim Wehr, a member of the property advisory committee, said the appraisal step is intended to provide a starting point for negotiations. “We are just trying to figure out the price of the property to start from somewhere,” Wehr said during the council discussion.

City officials outlined a multi-step process following the appraisals: issue a request for proposals in the coming months, review submissions and advisory committee recommendations, hold a public hearing, and seek final council approval before any sale or redevelopment contract is executed. The council’s briefing anticipates the timeline will extend several months into 2026 as the city moves through appraisal review, the RFP cycle, public input and formal approvals.

The Maple Park block carries a recent demolition history that factors into redevelopment planning. The gym on the property was demolished in 2015, and the remaining portion of the former elementary school was razed in 2023, leaving the full block vacant for several years and available for redevelopment opportunities once valuation and constraints are resolved.

Several specifics remain to be determined as the city moves forward. The resolution does not name the mayor who will commission the appraisals, it does not provide parcel acreage or tax ID numbers, and it does not spell out the technical details of the stormwater restrictions or the unspecified “other limitations” appraisers will be asked to consider. The schedule for issuing appraisal reports, whether appraisal values will be released publicly, and the exact timing and criteria for the forthcoming RFP were not set at the Feb. 24 meeting.

With appraisals now authorized, municipal staff and the property advisory committee will prepare appraisal briefs and related materials for potential developers. Residents can expect the city to issue a request for proposals in the coming months and to hold a public hearing before any final redevelopment decision is approved by the Huntingburg City Council.