[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 33 (Tuesday, February 27, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H1926-H1927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ST. JOSEPH MEMORIAL HALL CONVEYANCE ACT

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 494) to provide for the conditional conveyance of any 
interest retained by the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall in 
St. Joseph, Michigan, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 494

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF RETAINED INTEREST IN ST. JOSEPH 
                   MEMORIAL HALL.

       (a) In General.--Subject to the terms and conditions of 
     subsection (c), the Administrator of General Services shall 
     convey to the city of St. Joseph, Michigan, by quitclaim 
     deed, any interest retained by the United States in St. 
     Joseph Memorial Hall.
       (b) St. Joseph Memorial Hall Defined.--In this section, the 
     term ``St. Joseph Memorial Hall'' means the property subject 
     to a conveyance from the Secretary of Commerce to the city of 
     St. Joseph, Michigan, by quitclaim deed dated May 9, 1936, 
     recorded in Liber 310, at page 404, in the Register of Deeds 
     for Berrien County, Michigan.
       (c) Terms and Conditions.--The conveyance under subsection 
     (a) shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
       (1) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance 
     under subsection (a), the city of St. Joseph, Michigan, shall 
     pay $10,000 to the United States.
       (2) Additional terms and conditions.--The Administrator may 
     require such additional terms and conditions for the 
     conveyance under subsection (a) as the Administrator 
     considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
     States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.


                             General Leave

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the bill, H.R. 494.

[[Page H1927]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This bill authorizes conditional conveyance of any interest retained 
by the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall in St. Joseph, 
Michigan, to the city of St. Joseph, Michigan. In the 109th Congress, 
an identical bill was introduced, moved through committee, and passed 
the House as H.R. 4700. Unfortunately, no action was taken on that bill 
by the other body.
  The bill would complete a land transfer between the Federal 
Government and the city of St. Joseph, Michigan, that is very long 
standing. It goes back to 1935. The city in that year received a 
nonhistoric building and property with a restriction limiting use of 
the property to a public park. In 1954, the public use restriction was 
lifted on the parcel just north of the building through Public Act 348.
  H.R. 494, the bill presently before us and its predecessor in the 
last Congress, conveys to the city of St. Joseph any interest in St. 
Joseph Hall that is retained by the United States. This legislation has 
the effect of removing the restriction requiring use of the property 
for a park.
  City officials have asked for this transfer in order to permit the 
city to complete a redevelopment plan for the downtown that would 
utilize this parcel of land and the building. The city is further 
prepared to pay $10,000 to the General Services Administration for the 
transfer.
  This legislation has been advocated by the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Upton) who has been very persevering in pursuit of this 
legislation. I have come to know the gentleman from Michigan very well 
personally through our work on Great Lakes issues and on the U.S.-
Canada Interparliamentary Group in which we have both participated. He 
is very earnest about this project, and has been a very effective 
advocate for it. I am hopeful that with our action again in this body 
that we will be able to persuade the other body to move forthwith on 
the legislation and get it enacted.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill before us, introduced by the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Upton) on January 16, 2007, conveys the final interest 
retained by the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall in St. 
Joseph, Michigan.
  St. Joseph, Michigan, is in the process of redeveloping an area of 
town that will link downtown with the beautiful lakefront district. 
Removing the deed restriction will allow St. Joseph to create a 
recreational, educational, and cultural district that benefits the 
entire community.
  This redevelopment will make the city a more attractive place to 
work, live and play while improving the local economy.
  H.R. 494 will allow St. Joseph Memorial Hall to be incorporated into 
these redevelopment plans. Under the current restriction, redevelopment 
of the area may be impeded by a deed restriction placed on the property 
by the Federal Government more than 70 years ago. The deed restriction 
on Memorial Hall has remained despite the fact that similar deed 
restrictions in the city have been lifted. If not lifted, limitations 
on this tiny parcel of land located in the center of the redevelopment 
will significantly jeopardize the city's plan.
  The bill before us is a commonsense solution that will allow the city 
of St. Joseph to proceed with redevelopment. In the 109th Congress, the 
House recognized this as a sensible, simple solution and passed the 
same language in H.R. 4700. I support this measure, and I urge my 
colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 494, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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