No. 0737 designating SBCDA, declaring SBCDA to be blighted, approving development plan/conditions which relocation pmts. will be made, establishing allocation area for purposes of TIF

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I. HISTORY 8509691 Central Business District The Central Business District, or downtown, is the primary identity of the South Bend community. The image which the downtown has conveyed over the years has been directly related to the underlying economic, cultural and social foundations by which it is supported. The past twenty -five years in the history of South Bend have witnessed numerous changes in the identity of this area. The strong industrial base concentrated within the inner city accounted for 59% of the work force in 1953 and today accounts for only 27% of the work force. During this same period South Bend's population declined from 133,000 in 1960 to 108,000 in 1982, while the population of St. Joseph County increased by 3,000. Siezing the opportunities created by a growing suburban population and abundant developable land, retailing efforts shifted towards these new markets. Faced by the severe competition of the growing suburban shopping malls, the downtown's position as the primary retail district diminished rapidly. Immediate reaction by the downtown community was to attempt to compete head on with the new outlying retail districts. The creation of a pedestrian mall, rerouting of traffic around the core area, further restriction of internal circulation and the concept of a new enclosed mall within the downtown itself all began to have an effect on the new image of downtown. In preparation for these efforts, numerous parcels of land were cleared and assembled and remaining buildings were obscured by public improvements or covered up by facade treatments which were irrelevant to the original architecture. The downtown fabric became sparse, less accessible and lacked a cohesive identity. Even with major private and public efforts the downtown was unsuccessful in rebuilding its retail market position. The physical evidence of all these factors constitutes continuing blight and obsolescence. However accurate these terms might be in describing downtown, the future potential of downtown South Bend is anything but bleak. A new identity is emerging based on new and strong foundations. The Central Business District has made significant progress in strengthening its position as the financial, professional, service, cultural and entertainment center of the Michiana region. Community recognition and support of the underlying strengths and inherent advantages of the downtown area has permitted effective long range planning and positive efforts towards revitalization. The important relationship of inner -city neighborhoods to a healthy downtown has been recognized, and concentrated efforts to strengthen residential aspects of the inner -city have met with success, as evidenced by the Near Northwest, Park Avenue, West Washington, Near Northeast, and Edgewater neighborhoods. The East Bank and Monroe Park areas offer new potentials for residential development close to the downtown. -2- 5 -10 -85