Airport Economic Development Area
Douglas Road Economic Development Area
Northeast Neighborhood Development Area
South Bend Central Development Area
South Side Development Area
West Washington-Chapin Development Area
View map of development areas *
* Acrobat Reader required
South Bend has has both redevelopment areas and economic development areas. Redevelopment areas use acquisition, clearance, disposition of land and public improvements to reclaim blighted land for new development. Design review sets and maintains high development standards for the reclaimed land. There are currently four redevelopment areas in South Bend.
South Bend Central Development Area
View map of South Bend Central Development Area with its history of expansions *
The 447-acre South Bend Central Development Area is located in the heart of South Bend. This area was created in 1985 by consolidating and expanding three former redevelopment areas: the Central Business District, East Bank and Monroe Park. The area continues to be the center of much activity as new office and commercial development occur in the downtown, new light industrial businesses locate in Monroe Park, and new residential and compatible commercial businesses locate in the East Bank.
View the South Bend Central Development Plan
South Bend Central Development Area Project Manager: Jennifer Laurent
South Side Development Area
View map of South Side Development Area *
The 1100-acre South Side Development Area was established in 2002 to meet the planning and redevelopment needs of the Scottsdale Mall property and Ireland Road commercial corridor. The redevelopment area is principally commercial in nature and will see a complete revitalization of the existing commercial centers to meet the needs of today's shopping public. The Erskine Hills Shopping District, the branded name for the Ireland Road commercial corridor, will be developed to be one of the region's premier shopping districts. With a heavy focus on pedestrian accessibility through pathways and connectivity, the shopping district will be more of a rambling shopping town versus a collection of disconnected shopping centers. The keystone project within the Erskine Hills district will be the Erskine Village power town being developed on the site of Scottsdale Mall. Erskine Village opened in 2005.
South Side Development Area Project Manager: Bill Schalliol
West Washington-Chapin Development Area
View map of West Washington-Chapin Development Area with its history of expansions *
Established in 1987, the West Washington-Chapin Development Area consists of approximately two hundred acres and extends west from the South Bend Central Development Area. The area has a mixture of residential, commercial and both light and heavy industrial land uses. The city's first National Historic Register District is also within the area. The city's main goals in the West Washington-Chapin Development Area are to promote commercial and industrial development; improve and expand the supply of all housing, especially for low and moderate income families, by rehabilitation and construction on vacant lots; and to promote the welfare, safety and overall improvement of the quality of life within the neighborhood. These goals are being achieved with the help of public/private partnerships.
West Washington-Chapin Development Area Contact: Bill Schalliol
Northeast Neighborhood Development Area
View map of Northeast Neighborhood Development Area with its history of expansions *
The 616-acre Northeast Neighborhood Development Area is located northeast of downtown South Bend and south of the University of Notre Dame Campus. The area was designated in 2003 to coordinate the grassroots neighborhood organization's goals with institutional campus planning efforts going on simultaneously. Madison Center, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Notre Dame, Memorial Hospital and the City of South Bend have partnered to create the Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization, which is charged with implementing many components of the Development Area Plan.
State Road 23 (South Bend Avenue) will be improved to a landscaped, divided boulevard and rerouted to create a walkable, village-scaled commercial center at Eddy Street (the current "Five Points"). Task forces and planning initiatives include the potential redevelopment of the St. Joseph Hospital site, Notre Dame Avenue faculty housing construction, the Triangle neighborhood (Georgiana/Burns/Duey) redevelopment, South Bend Heritage Foundation's rehabilitation and homeownership preservation program, a proposed Certified Technology Park, and Madison Center's campus expansion.
View digital presentation on planned development in NNDA
Project Manager: Jeff Gibney & Liz Maradik
Economic Development Areas
The declaration of an economic development area does not require the finding of blighted conditions, and does not have the right of eminent domain. South Bend currently has two economic development areas.
Airport Economic Development Area
View map of Airport Economic Development Area with its history of expansions *
View the Airport Economic Development Area Development Plan*
Established in 1990, the Airport Economic (Blackthorn) Development Area has provided an environment at the city's far northwest side for new industrial, warehouse and business development. The 3,500-acre economic development area includes immediate access to the South Bend Regional Airport, the Indiana Toll Road and the U.S. 31 Bypass (St. Joseph Valley Parkway). The city has focused its efforts on building additional infrastructure to stimulate future industrial, office and commercial investment. The centerpiece of the area is the Blackthorn Golf Course. By 2010, the Blackthorn Development Area is expected be the center of industrial employment in northern Indiana. The Airport Economic Development Area includes the following industrial parks:
- Airport Industrial Park Phase I-IV
- Ameriplex Industrial Park
- Bendix Park
- Ameritech Drive Industrial Park
- Beverly Place
- Blackthorn Corporate Office Park
- Blackthorn West
- Cleveland Road Industrial Park
- Crossroads Industrial Park
- H.G Baus International Industrial Centre
- Landmark Industrial Park
- Park One Industrial Park
- Toll Road Industrial Park
- US 31 Industrial Park
- Portage Prairie
On July 20, 2007 the former Sample-Ewing Development Area was incorporated into the Airport Economic Development Area. The Sample-Ewing Development Area had been created a redevelopment area in 1993 through consolidation and expansion of two previous redevelopment areas: the Studebaker Corridor and Rum Village Industrial Park. The area contained the historical industrial center of South Bend as well as two adjacent residential neighborhoods. As industry moved from older, multi-story industrial buildings, many buildings were left vacant or only minimally used. Decline of the industrial area brought about decline of the adjoining residential neighborhoods. The plan for the area continues to be multi-faceted and focuses on revitalization of both the Southeast and Rum Village neighborhoods, commercial strip development along Michigan and Main Streets, and industrial development in the Studebaker Corridor, Sample-Indiana Corridor and Rum Village Industrial Park.
Airport Economic Development Area Project Manager: Nicholas Witwer
Studebaker Corridor industrial area project manager: Ann Kolata
Douglas Road Economic Development Area
View map of Douglas Road Economic Development Area *
The Douglas Road Economic Development Area is a small site development area, created to serve specific needs in the city's northeast quadrant. The 33 acre site that was designated February 2006 is located east of State Road 23 on Douglas Road. The northeast quadrant of the city has seen a growth in service and medical users and the development area was established to capture the property tax growth that is occurring in that area. The short term plan for the use of generated increment is to upgrade Douglas Road from SR 23 to the Mishawaka city limits to a full service commercial road, similar to what presently exists in the Mishawaka roadway corridor. The development area might be expanded in the future, based upon determined need, to complete other targeted infrastructure upgrade and improvement projects.
View/download Development Plan for Douglas Road Economic Development Area *
Douglas Road Economic Development Area Project Manager: Bill Schalliol
View map of development areas*
* Acrobat Reader required
Contacts for Land Development Assistance or Information
Economic Development
227 West Jefferson Blvd. • Suite 1200 S
South Bend, Indiana 46601
574.235.9371
Pet Adoption Option!