Indiana economic development officials, armed with $250 million from the Lilly Endowment to reduce blight, have approved a new round of regional projects. The state has awarded three projects in South Bend and a really big one in Elkhart.
The state has awarded the city of Elkhart $12 million toward its larger initiative to redevelop the Benham West neighborhood and reconnect the city’s near south side to the downtown. That will include $6 million in incentives for a developer planning to invest $54 million to build 210 units of housing near south Main and Freight streets.
Mike Huber is Elkhart’s development services director.
"We think that these projects on South Main Street will help us extend the momentum of downtown redevelopment across the railroad tracks and start to be a catalyst around the Tolson Center for redevelopment in that section of the Benham Neighborhood."
The city also will receive $6 million toward redeveloping the former Pierre Moran Mall/Woodland Crossing strip mall site on Hively Avenue.
The state also awarded the city of South Bend a combined $9.5 million across three projects: $3 million toward building a 150-unit mix of market rate and affordable rental and for-sale homes on the former Drewry’s Brewery site.
