A $4 million mixed-use development on Superior Street could begin construction this year.

Hartland Development, of Fort Wayne, submitted the only proposal to construct a mixed-use, multifloor development downtown just west of Club Soda. The Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission officially accepted the proposal Monday.

Greg Leatherman, redevelopment executive director, said he expected to get only one submittal as Hartland has been the only company to express an interest. He said he was happy with the project, noting it was fairly similar to what the company proposed last year.

"We are going to be moving as quickly now as the law allows," he said.

The commission will have to wait at least 30 days before discussing the plans for a four-story building with ground-level businesses and three floors of apartments. That is because the developer proposed paying $1 for 8,000 square feet of land. State law required the city to price the land based on appraisals, which averaged $65,335. Because that price was not met, the law requires a cooling-off period of a month before negotiations can begin.

Leatherman said the land price was not a sticking point and said giving the land away was a fair incentive for new construction downtown.

John McKay, president of Hartland, could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

The land wouldn’t be transferred to Hartland until the company could prove it has financing to begin construction, Leatherman said, adding he has been told the group has a loan for the project. In December, the group said it secured a $900,000 community-revitalization tax credit from the state.

Leatherman said the group wants to begin construction this year.

The city has agreed to provide an easement to the project to grant it necessary parking, although surrounding businesses have some concerns about whether the project will limit parking availability.

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