The former Gates Chevy World building, at the southwest corner of Western Avenue and Lafayette Boulevard, once home to a downtown Sears department store, will undergo exterior demolition work beginning Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Crews from R&R Excavating of Mishawaka have been gutting the building's interior since the City of South Bend acquired the property Sept. 1 as part of plans for public-private redevelopment near Coveleski Regional Stadium. Demolition will begin at the south end of the building. The City will recycle the concrete as a sub-base for road projects. Work is expected to take about two weeks.

Gates has had a Chevrolet dealership in downtown South Bend since 1939. It purchased the Sears building in 1979.  Earlier this month, Gates Toyota opened a new facility on the south side at Erskine Commons, while the Chevy dealership was consolidated at other properties, including another facility now under renovation along Ireland Road.

The City now is in the middle of a planning process with HOK Sport Inc., based in Kansas City, Mo., to develop master plans for the ballpark property as well as for the blocks surrounding the stadium. HOK, the architect when Coveleski was built in 1987, also designed Baltimore's Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Cleveland's Jacobs Field. Initial concepts include a reoriented entrance to Coveleski Stadium through centerfield and expanding the ballpark's concourse to provide 360-degree seating.

"This provides a great opportunity to shape the destiny of development around Coveleski Stadium, providing the facility with sufficient parking and potentially other improvements," said Mayor Stephen J. Luecke. "We've heard interest from businesses who believe they would have great synergy from being located near or next to the ballpark. As plans are developed and a community consensus emerges, the City of South Bend will be prepared to act in the best interest of the ballpark's future, especially to foster a strengthened connection to downtown South Bend."

The money being used for the purchase comes from the Tax Increment Financing district for the downtown Central Development Area. State law limits use of those funds to local public improvements within the boundaries of the downtown area or serving its needs. State law prohibits the use of TIF resources for operational expenses, such as police or firefighter salaries and park programs.

Still in process, the conceptual development plan focuses on an area bounded by Bronson Street on the south, Wayne Street on the north, Michigan Street on the east and Scott Street on the west. The final plan would include short-, mid- and long-term strategies for the city to pursue.

"We believe that a first-rate conceptual redevelopment plan will bring in Big League outside private investment," Luecke said.

Built for $11 million in 1987, the 5,000-seat Coveleski Stadium is worth an estimated $35 million to $40 million today. The stadium is owned by the City of South Bend, which leases the facility to the South Bend Silver Hawks, a Class A minor league baseball franchise.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Bill Schalliol, who is leading the project for the City's Department of Community and Economic Development. "The property allows for connectivity and growth of the Cove to the northeast into downtown – an element that has been missing since the original development of the park."

Coveleski Stadium, called "the grandfather of the modern ballpark" by BallParkReviews.com, provided a design template for a move in recent years to bring ballparks back into city downtowns.

In Fort Wayne, work now is under way on a downtown Harrison Square project. The mixed-use development with private and public funding includes a new $30 million minor-league ballpark, retail space, condominiums, a full-service Courtyard by Marriott hotel and parking garage. The ballpark is scheduled to be ready for the first pitch for the 2009 season. The 6,300-seat Memorial Stadium, home to the Fort Wayne Wizards since its opening on the city's north side in 1993 (six years after Coveleski Stadium), is scheduled to be demolished at that time.

Contact:  Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564 or Bill Schalliol, Economic Development Planner, 235-9371, or Toy Villa, Public Construction Manager, 235-9251