READI to support $600M of economic development in South Bend-Elkhart Region
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After extensive deliberation over more than 50 applications seeking a slice of $42.5 million in Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative 2.0 grant funds, the Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority announced awards to 13 projects on Wednesday.
The RDA detailed the funding during its meeting at Elkhart Health & Aquatics.
Bolstered by the grant dollars, the RDA said the recipients will infuse an additional $613 million into the regional economy through projects designed to significantly impact quality of life and quality of place in the South Bend-Elkhart region.
“READI 2.0 is an incredible opportunity for the region to build on the successes of READI 1.0 and Regional Cities funding,” said John DeSalle, Chair of the RDA. “With this batch of projects selected for funding, I expect we will see many of our region’s greatest needs addressed.”
The projects receiving READI funding are:
Elkhart River District 2.0 (Elkhart County) – $9.5 million
Spearheaded by weIMPACT, the project is anticipated to generate up to 284 new residences, 60,000 square feet of office and retail space, and more than $1 million in public art.
“This investment will significantly support the transformative work happening in Downtown Elkhart’s River District,” weIMPACT President Dave Weaver said. “It is a game-changer for our entire region, boosting population growth, retention, attraction, and enhancing the overall experience and loveability of our communities.”
Expressing appreciation to the Indiana Economic Development Corp., the RDA and the City of Elkhart, Weaver said that the funds allowed the company to bridge the gap in place-based development.
“We firmly believe in order to positively change the experience of recruitment, retention and an improved quality of place in this region, we must reimagine and reinvest in neighborhoods people desire to be a part of,” he said. “These funds allow us to…set an aspirational design standard that will make us all proud to be from the South Bend-Elkhart region.”
Riverfront West (St. Joseph County) – $5.64 million
This development aims to create over 400 rental units on the St. Joseph River, revitalizing the southern area of downtown South Bend. It will also enhance public access to the riverfront, via an existing pedestrian bridge to Howard Park, which was a Regional Cities project.
100 Center Historic Revitalization Project (St. Joseph County) – $5.64 million
Originally the Kamm Schellinger Brewery and built in 1853, the “100 Center” is Mishawaka’s historic brewing and entertainment district. The $41.5 million redevelopment will revitalize the 180,800-square-foot complex into a mixed-use development featuring 104 residential units, 79,200 square feet of commercial space, and 20 short-term rentals. It’s expected to create 160 jobs and provide 85 daycare seats.
Cherry Creek (Elkhart County) – $4.5 million
Plans include a walkable mixed-use housing neighborhood with flexible housing on 170 acres. More than 1,200+ new homes will be built, along with a variety of mixed-use restaurants, retail businesses and educational opportunities. The project will also include a licensed childcare facility with over 130 slots.
Tri-County Workforce Home Ownership Initiative (Region-wide) – $4.1 million
Habitat for Humanity affiliates in St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties will strategically construct 126 high-quality, energy-efficient starter homes, for households earning 120% or less of the Area Median Income.
“This project will significantly contribute to alleviating the region’s housing shortage by addressing both the need for more housing and affordable housing,” Habitat for Humanity of St. Joseph County CEO Jim Williams said. “As READI 2.0 aims to spur regional development and attract new businesses, further investment in housing will be essential to accommodate this anticipated growth.”
With the Amazon Web Services data center and the General Motors EV battery plant set to create 2,700 jobs, Williams said nearly 1,900 households will require housing in the next couple of years. The tri-county project will build three and four-bedroom homes, with 2 bathrooms and up to 1,400 square feet.
“Each home will appraise for $260,000 or less, and families who purchase these homes and complete the Habitat program will pay no more than 30% of their gross income (no more than $1,000 per month) in mortgage payments, including taxes and insurance,” Williams said in an email.
The project also incorporates 28 infill lots, converting vacant, abandoned and derelict properties into valuable new homes.
Bremen GROWTH Project – (Marshall County) – $3.737 million
Bremen Greenway, Recreation Center, Opportunities for Wage growth, & Transformational Housing (GROWTH) provides for a three-mile greenway trail, a recreation center and the town’s first new housing developments in over 20 years. This multi-site project will create 48 new rental units and 87 for-sale homes.
Michigan & Monroe Arts District (St. Joseph County) – $3.7 million
Through redeveloping several historic buildings and constructing new housing, this project will restore the Arts District’s historical vibrancy and economic vitality while maintaining affordability and offering new amenities for the surrounding area on South Michigan Street.
Western Avenue Transformation District (St. Joseph County) – $3.61 million
This 208-unit, mixed-income community is designed to meet the immediate need for walkable, affordable housing in downtown South Bend while fostering a vibrant, inclusive community of opportunity.
Master Plan Phase 3 – Big Cat Tracks (St. Joseph County) – $1 million
Featuring a state-of-the-art Amur tiger and leopard habitat, Big Cat Tracks is the final project in phase three of the Potawatomi Zoo’s Master Plan. This would be the first property expansion in the Zoo’s history, incorporating 2 additional acres.
Heartland Arts Center Expansion Project (Marshall County) – $500,000
Designed to convert Plymouth’s historic Montgomery Ward building into a regional arts hub featuring galleries, studios, classrooms, offices and an event space. This project is set to transform and establish the center as a key cultural destination.
Culver Community Youth Center (Marshall County) – $300,000
The new facility will enhance and increase availability of quality daycare, after school and summer care for youth, building on previous quality of life improvements to attract families.
“We are very excited and grateful about this opportunity and all of the possibilities that this opens up for our organization,” Culver Youth Club Executive Director Brian Carver said. “The new building will allow us to increase the number of school aged students that we serve on a daily basis, increase enrollment in our summer program, and offer affordable daycare/early childhood care that will benefit the teachers and staff within the Culver Community school corporation.”
Carver said the Center had experienced “a great deal of growth” over the past three years, leading to space constriction in the old building.
YMCA Childcare Network (St. Joseph County) – $220,000
This project will repurpose 6,000 sq. ft. of the shuttered HealthWorks! Kid’s Museum into a full-day childcare center in the heart of downtown South Bend. With 62 slots for kids under three years old, the center has a long-term goal to provide care at no more than 10% of a family’s annual income.
New Carlisle 2.0 (St. Joseph County) – $78,000
This project will renovate existing tennis courts, build four pickleball courts and create an ADA pathway. Outdoor social gathering spaces are also included in the plans.
The Indiana General Assembly approved $500 million in READI 2.0 funds as part of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda. In April 2024, the South Bend – Elkhart region was one of six regions awarded $45 million in READI 2.0 funds. The RDA worked with the South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership on the project submission and award process.
The Lilly Endowment gifted an additional $250 million towards a READI component targeting blight reduction, and arts and culture. $185 million was allocated to the Blight Reduction & Redevelopment Initiative, aimed at reversing systemic community challenges associated with deteriorating, vacant, abandoned and blighted properties.
Two of the four projects the Regional Partnership submitted for consideration by the IEDC, are projected to receive funding. The Benham Neighborhood Regeneration Initiative in Elkhart, and the Westside Housing Revitalization project in South Bend that will create 500 new or renovated housing units in South Bend’s most blighted neighborhoods.
“Our region has made great strides in addressing blight, but there’s still critical work to be done,” said Bethany Hartley, President and CEO of the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership. “The READI 2.0 Blight Reduction and Redevelopment funding provides an invaluable opportunity to continue revitalizing underutilized spaces and transform them into assets that drive economic growth and community pride.”