South Bend City Church making progress in Tribune building renovations
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As the attention of developers and city officials shifts downtown, South Bend City Church is nearing completion of the first phase of its Tribune Project, a multimillion-dollar renovation of the former South Bend Tribune printing plant at LaSalle Avenue and Lafayette Boulevard.
South Bend City Church purchased the space from former South Bend Tribune owner Schurz Communications last year after learning they wouldn’t have the option to renew their lease in the former Studebaker Building 84 further south on Lafayette.
Lead Pastor Jason Miller said both spaces match the church’s desire to be a part of the redemption of old spaces.
“We think history matters,” Miller said. “South Bend has a lot of beautiful history and some of that history lives in our buildings and so it’s meaningful to be a part of that.”
South Bend City Church Lead Pastor Jason Miller shares what drew the church to the printing press location.
Investments in downtown South Bend
South Bend City Church’s purchase makes use of the printing press building which, along with the neighboring former newsroom offices, had sat vacant since the Tribune’s new owners moved the newspaper out of the building in 2019. The church’s anticipated move this spring to the Tribune’s printing plant is just one of a string of private and public investments planned in the city’s downtown corridor in the coming years.
The University of Notre Dame announced earlier this month that it had purchased the newspaper offices next door to the South Bend City Church project. University officials did not say specifically how they plan to use the building, only that recent strategic planning calls for investments in science and engineering. That same strategic framework indicates the university’s desire to work with the city and region to support “a more prosperous South Bend.”
“Never before has the University been more engaged with key stakeholders throughout the region,” Notre Dame Executive Vice President Shannon Cullinan said in a news release earlier this month. “With the strength of partnerships at the local and state level, the growth of leading local industries and a shared regional vision, there is tremendous momentum in the community. We hope that a collaborative project in downtown South Bend will create a destination and a catalyst to propel the region’s momentum further, especially via this notable venue.”
The investment in the notable South Bend city block also comes as officials ramp up to a downtown visioning process expected to pick up in the new year. The city anticipates, through private investment and private-public partnerships, more than 500 new housing units to become available downtown in coming years.
“We’re thrilled to advance our shared vision of a thriving community with more opportunities for all,” South Bend Mayor James Mueller said of Notre Dame’s investment in the early December news release. “This historic investment in the heart of our downtown will accelerate our growth and help us win in the innovation and knowledge-based economy of the future.”
South Bend City Church a part of growth
Miller said South Bend City Church is excited to be a part of the growth.
“There’s just a lot of really wonderful conversations happening downtown,” Miller said. “We’re just one part of the conversation, but we’re really thankful for the other faith communities, nonprofits, business leaders, city leaders and DTSB Incorporated for an emerging collective commitment to downtown.”
Miller talks about what changes the new location will bring to South Bend City Church.
The church expects to have similar square footage to its current space in Studebaker when it moves into the printing plant. However, as the church continues to grow into future phases — which could bring an adult sanctuary, rooftop gathering space and more — that space is expected to grow greatly. Miller said the new location will quickly help the church develop more secure kids spaces, a dedicated lobby and community rooms. He also sees a future for event space rentals in the heart of downtown South Bend.
The church has already begun talking with community partners, including a nonprofit that could use the space during the week. Miller also has visions of renting out meeting rooms as office space for people or companies looking for space to work downtown.
Construction crews now are building walls into the once-open press shop for offices and meeting spaces. The church purchased the space for $1 million and has budgeted construction costs of $3.4 million. Miller said the church has secured loans for the project and raised about $1.5 million – though the congregation is still seeking about $300,000 to meet its phase one fundraising goals. Development of future phases is likely to happen as additional funding becomes available.
Miller said the church hopes to have its first gatherings in the new space by Easter.
“Anybody who sees that big vaulted ceiling room feels what we felt, I think, which is it strangely and wonderfully has the feeling of a sacred space to it,” Miller said. “It made a lot of sense to us to figure out if we could bring our own life into this building.”