plan, in which a city of South Bend's size would have received at least $5 million annually, South Bend would have been able to complete critical road construction and complete reclamation on hundreds of acres of former industrial property. In 1993, Kernan campaigned in support of President Clinton's deficit reduction and economic stimulus proposal. After meeting with Clinton when accompanying Governor Evan Bayh to the Democratic Governors Association quarterly meeting in March 1993, Kernan declared that he had been persuaded by Clinton that it was necessary to pass both deficit reduction and economic stimulus in a singular piece of legislation rather than separating them into separate bills. Kernan declared, To promote the legislation to Indiana's federal representatives and their constituents, Kernan pointed to an analysis that had found that Indiana would be one of only five states that would benefit fiscally from the proposal, as Indiana, at the time, had typically received less in federal funding than it contributed in federal taxes. Kernan also touted the prospect of South Bend receiving sever million dollars in one-time federal funding through the legislation. He also argued that the stimulus portion of the legislation was needed to generate jobs. Kernan also argued that it was past time for legislators to cease considering alternative proposals, as several Republican alternative proposals had already been voted down. Kernan remarked, "This is the only game in town. While there may be some folks who disagree with some party of it, it's the only economic package in the country that has a change of passage." He argued that failure to pass the proposal without a viable alternative would worsen federal legislative gridlock and hurt the chances of Clinton achieving his target of implementing a significant economic change. Other matters As mayor, Kernan worked to create a better working relationship between South Bend and the nearby University of Notre Dame. In December 1988, a fire that destroyed the Morningside Club Residence, an apartment hotel, displaced more than a hundred residents. Kernan was able to persuade the then-unopened Center for the Homeless to rush its opening in order to accommodate some of these displaced residents. In 1988, taking advantage of a decline in interest rates, Kernan refinanced Coveleski Stadium through the newly created South Bend Redevelopment Authority. Kernan instituted a mayor's night out/mayor's night in to provide an opportunity for his constituents to better meet with him and share their