The City of South Bend, along with community and business partners, announced its commitment to create a formal Downtown Plan, which will set a vision for the future of our downtown and outline concrete steps to get there.
Mayor James Mueller says rom the new Beacon Tower in the north to the rebirth of former Studebaker buildings, South Bend will see roughly $1 billion of investment over the coming years for new homes, retail, and jobs of the future.
He says the downtown plan will create a vision and framework for how to expand opportunities for all and maximize the impacts of the investments beyond the sum of each individual project.
In addition to new jobs and record private investment, more than 500 new housing units are already in development in the downtown area, and the City also plans major investments at the Morris, Four Winds Field, Century Center, and the Housing Authority.
The City team will work with stakeholders and community members during the first two quarters of 2024 to envision the future of South Bend’s downtown. Similar to recent neighborhood plans, the downtown planning process will be facilitated by international urban design experts and the City’s Planning Team in the Department of Community Investment.
The City aims to finalize a contract by the end of the year with outside experts and project lead Urban Design Associates, an international urban planning and community development firm based in Pittsburgh.
4 comments
Every 5-10 years these city governments spend gobs of money on yet another plan. Just leave it all alone. Mayor Pothole mad a giant mess of SB. The guy there no will do no better. At least he hasn’t run overseas to avoid any controversy.
Now, does this plan address the homeless problem, the open drug use seen downtown, or the fact that the bulk of the gun violence starts just blocks west of downtown? I love it when a plan comes together, but with Mayor Pete Jr the plan is usually “putting lipstick on a pig”…so to speak.
Sounds vague and just words to shut up the taxpayers. It has been this way for years. If you don’t bring industry to this city, South Bend, you are just wasting our time and lining your pockets.
Where do they get one billion dollar for this dream project ? Really, 500 new dwellings in downtown, i guess they won’t have automobiles. Starting in January the city limits is going even more Woke with the new council representatives. The crime and the mentally ill homeless problem is not going to bring new life in the downtown. Seriously, not a safe place to raise a family.