516 South Michigan Street_COA 2025-1103

Home Browse Search

HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY Phone: 574.235.9371 Email: hpcsbsjc@southbendin.gov STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: November 10, 2025 Application Number: 2025-1103 Property Location: 516 South Michigan Street Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: Neoclassical Commercial / 1921 Property Owner: Herstoric Properties LLC / Charity Stowe Landmark or District Designation: Local Landmark, Ordinance #8630-95; South Michigan Street NR Historic District Rating: Outstanding DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/SITE: This is a two story, rectangular plan commercial building. Walls are brick with terra cotta detailing, and the roof features a parapet wall having an oval, terra cotta arcade and a project- ing terra cotta cornice with brackets. On the front facade, the second story window surrounds are terra cotta with vien and medallion motif lintels. Window openings on the south elevation have arched tops. The north eleva- tion features two recessed openings, which originally formed two lightwells between the existing building and a now-demolished building directly to the north. Each recessed opening has three windows; based on images provid- ed by the applicant, these windows appear to be metal 6/1 single hung windows. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: The applicant has requested retroactive approval to: 1. [Retroactive] Remove the deteriorated windows on the north side of the building within the lightwells. Tempo- rily board up window openings until a COA for replacement windows and doors can be approved. 2. [Retroactive] Rebuild the wall sections affected by water intrusion. STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: Commercial Standards, Walls: 59-60. Commercial Standards, Windows: 61-63. SITE VISIT REPORT: After receiving reports of work being done without a COA, staff conducted a site visit on 10/22/2025, as is standard procedure. Historic Preservation Administrator Ross Van Overberghe and Specialist Kate Himick inspected the building and took pictures from the public right of ways. Staff observed that it appeared as if several windows in the lightwells had been removed and that several walls had been rebuilt, works outside the scope of previously issued COAs. Staff contacted the property owner to clarify the scope of previously issued COAs, and following a discussion regarding the work being done, confirmed that the windows had been removed and walls had been rebuilt. To gain compliance, staff asked the property owner to apply for a retroactive COA cov- ering these works. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: The applicant provided photographs of the windows that were removed, but the applicant no longer has the physical, original windows. Based solely on provided photographs and conversations with the property owner, these windows were metal, single hung windows. It is possible that these metal windows were too deteriorated to be saved, but without seeing them in person, Staff cannot definitively make any claim regarding their condition. Based primarily on the absence of information, Staff cannot make a favorable recommen- dation for the removal of the windows, though this should not reflect as a statement on their deterioration.