South Bend Gets First Downtown Office Building in 20 Years

(Image courtesy Barnes & Thornburg law firm)

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The city of South Bend is watching as a vacant lot in the downtown area turns into the city’s first Class A office project in nearly 20 years. Over the past two decades, the city has focused more on updating existing structures. But this project is a new, mixed-use office development that will be anchored by a Barnes & Thornburg law office.

KTGY Architecture of Chicago designed the building which is currently under construction. “Ground-floor retail engages the streetscape, while expansive windows and rooftop terraces offer outdoor spaces and views,” said Craig Pryde, principal at the Chicago office of KTGY.

“The contemporary design incorporates street-level manganese iron spot masonry, creating an appreciative contrast to the adjacent Federal Building’s traditional limestone and granite façade.”

The building will offer about 35,000 square feet of office space and 6,500 square feet of street-level retail.

Pryde says the design includes terraces on the fourth and fifth levels, serving as an extension of the interior office space. “Private outdoor space has become one of the most-requested features in new office designs, regardless of climate,” said Pryde. “The flexibility it offers, along with the health and productivity benefits, resonates with both current and prospective employees, making it a valuable retention and recruiting tool for employers,” said Pryde.

Barnes & Thornburg will lease floors two through four.  “We are excited that this lease enables us to contribute to and share in South Bend’s ongoing revitalization,” Philip Faccenda, Jr., managing partner of the firm’s South Bend office said last spring during the groundbreaking ceremony. The law firm relocate their current offices from the 1st Source bank building, also in the downtown area.

The project is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2021.