St. Joseph County a Popular Place to Invest

Our region was once perceived as a region devoid of investment opportunities. In recent years, we’ve seen a transformation.  Today, it is a beacon on the radar of builders, developers, real estate professionals, and companies looking to relocate or expand, dispelling the notion that all the investment in Indiana is happening elsewhere.

That work doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of some great partnerships between the public and private sectors and the efforts of hundreds of people who have helped make the conditions right for new growth in our community. Growth can’t happen without the private sector’s willingness to invest in our communities. And that investment doesn’t happen without a public sector that’s receptive and supportive of those investments.

One must look no further than our downtowns for some of the most visible signs of new growth and investment. In Mishawaka, for example, the construction of the River Rock Apartments;  The Mill Phase 1 & 2, and the Avalon I & II will result in more than 700 new housing units in the downtown area.

Those projects have been critical catalysts for transforming a former brownfield into an energetic area full of art, entertainment, housing, and activity. In addition, city investment at the former Liberty Mutual site and the downtown area are more vibrant today than at any time in the last 50 years.  

South Bend’s story is similar. Projects like The Hill Apartments, the LaSalle Apartments, the 300 East LaSalle Apartments, and the Ivy at Berlin Place have brought hundreds of new places to live downtown. And watch for that housing growth to continue, especially close to Four Winds Field, where the Diamond View Downtown, Real America, and Momentum Downtown projects are poised to move forward. At the same time, the Housing Authority property west of the stadium also presents some great opportunities for some affordable housing options downtown.

Speaking of the stadium, a $45 million expansion of Four Winds Field will begin as soon as this baseball season concludes.

Also downtown, Notre Dame has purchased the former South Bend Tribune building downtown and has major plans that should start to take shape soon. A few blocks from there, South Bend is ready to proceed with $20 Million improvement to the Morris Civic.

Near the hospital, Beacon Health System has major improvements underway at Memorial Hospital, which has spurred a major mixed-use development called the Madison Lifestyle District. Watch for those improvements to begin soon.

The Notre Dame campus continues to be a hot spot for development, both on and adjacent to campus. Plans have advanced for an Eddy Street-like development north of campus, and last month, ground was broken on a major mixed-use development at the Five Corners.

Other investment highlights to note include a new project at Grandview in Mishawaka, AM General’s new contract, Lippert’s plan for a new Distribution Center, Verbio’s planned investment in the former South Bend Ethanol Plant, and continued growth for local companies like Aunalytics, Steel Warehouse, EVS, and Maks Plastics.

I almost forgot: AWS  plans an investment of $11 billion in the western part of the county, where GM is planning a $3.5 billion investment.

Our once-half-empty glass is now half-full. We must continue to build on the momentum of each of these projects. For our area to thrive, we need a great mix of development. Housing is critical, as are job opportunities for our citizens and quality-of-life amenities for our residents and visitors. We also need talented people to build those great projects, and then we need to support them.