July 2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

STAFF REPORT REGARDING HISTORIC STRUCTURES IN THE SOUTH GATEWAY DISTRICT, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Date: 07-11-03 Entryways have long been used throughout the history of architecture to prepare a visitor for what lies beyond. They can spark people's interest with visual grandeur or carefully crafted architectural complexity. The grand Doric and Ionic entrance to Athen's Acropolis, the Propylea, acted as an art gallery as well as an uplifting route of passage from the profaneness of the ancient city to the supreme sanctity of the rocky promontory upon which stands the Parthenon, the gem dedicated to the city's patron, Athena. Lobbies of opera houses and theaters of previous decades offered visual delights to prepare one for the glitz and glamour presented in a show. Even the simple classical elements of surrounding the doorways of Georgian colonial residences spoke to visitors regarding the pride an owner held in his or her home. Motif such as the pineapple decorated doorways as signs of welcome and hospitality. - Similarly, cities also have entranceways that help to define its character, relationship to the rest of the world, and its notion of itself and its people. The medieval walls of European cities exuded perhaps a sense of protection and safety behind which men and women could live with minimal fear of attack. Though most American cities never built walls for protection and many European have removed theirs for the sake of modern development, our cities have found other means to welcome travelers, business people residents into our public places. Signage, bridges, and even airports can act as entryways into cities. The Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco offers one example of a majestic icon and confident "doorway" for the city on the bay. Currently, South Bend's doorways need a boost from perhaps an ounce of such confidence. Leeper Park and the Leeper Bridge on North Michigan Street are fine examples of kind welcome mats to South Bend, but other passages into the city offer only harshness, decline and chaotic presence to anyone driving through. In contrast to N. Michigan Street, the South Gateway district along S. Michigan Street has often been sited by city planning commissions as such an example of an unkind doorway into South Bend. Once a street lined with stately brick commercial buildings that also contained apartments for rent on the upper floors, S. Michigan Street now lacks the visual unity necessary for a confident presentation of South Bend's character. Many empty lots, random development, poor upkeep, and lighting deficiency present a chaotic face to the visitor. Yet, of what structures remain along this prominent passage into downtown, S. Michigan Street contains much promise for reuse and future development. The area along S. Michigan Street closest to downtown contains a number of attractive historic structures that could form the hub of a redevelopment area. From the 200s block to the 500s block, several structures line the street with fewer gaps and vacant lots than other strips along Michigan Street. Many of these buildings were built in the 1910s and 1920s and they still offer study brick facades and structures with classic detailing rarely duplicated by today's construction techniques, materials, and style. Because of the proximity to downtown and its commercial, governmental, retail, and entertainment features, this area may be a good place to start renovation of the South gateway district and to cement the beginnings of a more cohesive entryway into the downtown area. The historic structures that still stand in this area could act as the core and/ or the supporting features of this entranceway. -1-