Infrastructure work aims to catalyze development in Elkhart neighborhood
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The Elkhart Common Council earlier this month approved funds for the first part of Mayor Rod Roberson’s “Elkhart’s Tomorrow, Starting Today” plan.
The $14.5 million project includes drainage improvement, water main relocation and the separation of sanitary and storm sewers in the city’s Benham neighborhood.
“This Benham Avenue project is a critical infrastructure project that will allow for future development in that area of the city,” Roberson said in a statement.
Roberson’s plan focuses on public safety, infrastructure and quality of place, areas he believes have the greatest impact on quality of life for those who live and work in Elkhart, the statement added.
The infrastructure upgrade is necessary to drive public-private partnerships in the Benham Avenue area, the mayor said.
Elkhart hopes to replicate the success it had with the development of the Aquatic Center in 2019 and improvements to the Lerner Theatre. Now referred to as anchor catalysts, the projects spurred investment and growth in Elkhart’s River District and downtown area. Increased apartment buildings, business relocations to Main Street, and multi-use buildings were a direct consequence of the projects.
The newly opened Tolson Community Center for Excellence serves as the anchor project for Benham, paving the way for further development outlined in the Benham Neighborhood Plan, city officials said. With Tolson in place, the focus shifts to infrastructure improvements, critical for attracting investment.
Due to inadequate drainage systems in the former marshland, flooding has been a recurrent issue during heavy rains. The drainage improvement project targets these areas, aiming to mitigate flooding and enhance the city’s resilience. The current drainage systems are at least 50 to 60 years old as Roberson recalls experiencing flooding in the area, even as a child.
“This is a project that has been needed for quite some time and it’s finally up on the schedule for us,” Corinne Straight, director of communications told Inside INdiana Business. “We are addressing those issues by extending sewer lines, drainage, extending water lines along Benham.”
The improved drainage serves a dual purpose. In line with the Benham Neighborhood plan, the new and improved drainage system will make vacant lots more attractive to real estate developers for both residential and mixed-use developments.
“To put housing on land and make it attractive to developers, infrastructure has to be done first,” Straight said. “This underground infrastructure work sets up the development possibilities above ground.”
Elkhart boasts an engaged and philanthropic community, with residents and businesses deeply committed to the city’s growth and prosperity. The Wellfield Botanic Gardens and Hotel Elkhart are other examples of the power of public-private partnerships and how cities can magnify their investments. Elkhart has shared this method with other communities and hopes to continue applying it, Straight noted.
“When the city comes in and we do what we do best and private entities come in and they do what they do best, we really just magnify our impact and it’s pretty exciting,” Straight said.
In its downtown plan, the city identified that one-way streets are not ideal for downtown development. Underscoring the need for a more walkable downtown and safer areas for residents and shoppers, Straight said, “The key to that walkability is really slowing traffic down on some of these major thoroughfares.”
Citing South Bend and Mishawaka as successful examples, Krupali Krusche, an assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture, said this switch allows cities to experience substantial growth and development of commerce and housing.
“While the current one-way street system may appear advantageous to drivers initially, it significantly impedes the economic development and vitality of the downtown core,” Krusche said. “Enhancing the safety of these streets would greatly revitalize the city’s center, breathing new life into its heart.”
The city of New Albany in southern Indiana also restored two–way traffic on some of its streets and recorded a drop in all forms of traffic accidents, a calming effect on traffic, and an increase in pedestrian traffic.
In Elkhart, the Benham infrastructure work will support consolidating the “Y” that splits 2nd and 3rd streets just north of Benham Avenue to just 3rd Street, allowing for street conversions to two-way traffic.
“It’s a good idea because that way people can travel back and forth,” Silong Kao, owner of Kao’s on 2nd & Marion Street in Elkhart, said. “There’ll be more traffic going both directions and the businesses around this area can actually benefit from that.”
Elkhart seeks to replicate the economic success seen on its Main Street. The conversion of major streets from one-way to two-way aligns with modern urban development strategies, fostering a conducive environment for businesses and residents alike. Cities previously preferred one-way roads to aid traffic efficiency through downtown areas.
“The pendulum has swung the other way now that we understand how this works for development,” Straight said. “Elkhart’s not alone in doing this type of one way to two-way conversion.”
Mike Huber, director of development services with the city, said the one-way road made Benham a “through-town and not a to-town,” which led to the area losing investments and becoming in decline.
The Benham Neighborhood Plan projects that the implementation of the various upgrades and changes could result in around 90,000 to 145,000 square feet of new retail, commercial and professional office spaces.
“This project contributes in a lot of ways to our goals of being able to increase business, increase development, and increase density,” Huber said. “It’s creating opportunities to use areas of downtown that over the years deteriorated, were torn down and replaced with surface parking lots for infill housing instead.”
The plan also includes policies to ensure equity and to prevent significant gentrification.
“We want to make sure they continue to have opportunities to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the new business growth that come along with the program,” Huber said.
Rise in property valuation, new businesses, new constructions, families moving in, and increased taxes are some of the metrics the city will be looking at to gauge the success of this project.
Straight anticipates minimal traffic disruptions in 2024, as only a very small portion of the project is slated for this year. Drivers, pedestrians and businesses along the route can expect major impacts and closures in the 2025 construction season.
The city says it will communicate any disruptions well in advance. The project will be undertaken by its public works and utilities department.