Downtown South Bend could be more connected with the St. Joseph River and other surrounding areas, as part of the new downtown plan. It was adopted by the common council Monday, after more than two years of work.
One suggestion is to turn Gridiron Plaza into a dedicated public square. Planning Director Tim Corcoran says that could involve renovating or replacing the former College Football Hall of Fame building with something like a food hall or possibly a hotel.
“When you have friends or family come to South Bend and they say, ‘Where should I go?’ and, like, what we want people to think about is this area,” Corcoran told council members.
The plan also suggests visually connecting the area with the St. Joseph River, with a new riverfront park at the east end of Washington Street. But that would require the demolition of the part of the Century Center that houses the South Bend Museum of Art.
Corcoran said that particular project would only happen if a new location could be found that would suit the museum’s needs. “They’re a valuable part of our community, and this idea is not about moving them but how do we activate the riverfront,” Corcoran added.
He said a market analysis found a demand for apartments, townhomes, grocery stores and hotels downtown. At the same time, a study showed that less than half of the area’s parking spaces are used on a typical weekday.
“So, what does that mean? It means that these are all great places to think about where redevelopment can happen, where new buildings can happen, where we can create that vibrancy that we’re looking for. Buildings pay taxes, and parking lots don’t,” Corcoran said.
While the plan is designed to guide downtown development over the next 20 years, Corcoran notes that many projects are already starting – like the Colfax Corner tech hub and a number of housing developments. He said one of the reasons for the plan was to coordinate the $1 billion of investment that was already taking place and to allow the city to build on that going forward. Still, he says the plan doesn’t call for major changes to the downtown zoning map.
Willow Wetherall, executive director of Downtown South Bend, Inc., said the new plan would help repair a “disjointed” feeling, stemming from the urban renewal efforts of the past. “Things are not actually that far apart in Downtown, but to a visitor, they feel far apart, when the space between destinations is dominated by surface parking lots or vacant and underutilized ground floor spaces,” Wetherall told council members.
Council President Canneth Lee praised the plan before the final vote was taken. “All I’ve ever wanted was South Bend to be a place where our kids would want to live here and can thrive here, and to be able to see that things are coming together for that to happen is very exciting for me,” Lee said.
