No. 2383 contracting the boundaries of the West Washington-Chapin Development Area

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INTRODUCTION The plan that follows represents a general concept for the development and revitalization of the West Washington-Chapin Development Area. It is also the initial step in the development of a Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan for this area. This Plan is the result of many months of discussion between the residents and business people of the neighborhood and representatives of the City of South Bend and the Redevelopment Commission. The partnership that has evolved from these discussions, the determination of the residents, and the commitment of the City of South Bend will all help to ensure the success of this General Development Plan and the more detailed Comprehensive Plan still to come. The West Washington-Chapin Development Area consists of approximately two hundred acres and extends west from the South Bend Central Business District. One of the original neighborhoods of the City, the area has a mixture of residential, commercial, and both light and heavy industrial land use. The City's first National Historic Register District is also within the neighborhood. See Map 1. As with many inner-city neighborhoods throughout the United States, conditions within the Washington- Chapin neighborhood have deteriorated in recent years. This is particularly evident along the two major commercial strips of the neighborhood located along the 1100 through 1400 blocks of West Washington Avenue and the 100 through 300 blocks of South Chapin Street. The condition of the neighborhood, whether good or bad, also affects the areas surrounding the neighborhood. Considering that the West Washington-Chapin Development Area is next to the South Bend Central Business District the revitalization of the West Washington-Chapin Development Area gains even greater significance considering the amount of public and private money that has been invested in the City's Central Business District. Improvement of the West Washington-Chapin Development Area can strengthen these investments as well as encourage further activities in the Downtown. Residents and business owners of the neighborhood joined together to form anon-profit corporation early in 1987 called the West Washington-Chapin Revitalization Project, Inc. The group consists of representatives of the several other non-profit corporations that are active within the neighborhood as well, as many concerned residents. The City of South Bend through its Division of Planning and Business Assistance, the South Bend Redevelopment Commission and the West Washington-Chapin Revitalization Project, Inc. jointly decided to proceed with the preparation of this Development Plan as one means of addressing same of the problems of the neighborhood. When adopted, this Plan will provide the mechanism to deal with many of the physical problems and general lack of reinvestment the neighborhood has experienced. The Development Plan establishes specific development issues that will need to be addressed in the Comprehensive Plan. The Plan also establishes a means of directing development to ensure that it occurs in an orderly manner, is compatible with existing neighborhood uses and is of the highest quality possible. With the adoption of this Plan, the residents of the neighborhood and the City of South Bend will be able to take the preliminary steps to make the area a vital residential, commercial, and industrial neighborhood. 10/23/87