HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-26-2007 South Bend Lathe moves closer to demolition, cleanup o�sou TH
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Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
February 26, 2007
4::45 PM
Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-
1564, or Andy Laurent, 245-6112
South Bend Lathe moves closer to demolition, cleanup
SOUTH BEND—The South Bend Board of Public Works today confirmed that 16
contractors are eligible to bid for the contract to demolish the former South Bend Lathe
facility, 400 W. Sample St. The contract is expected to be put out for bid in March and
awarded in April.
This 15-acre site with its 500,000-square-foot building represents about 20 percent of
land and structures in the Studebaker corridor's Area A—decaying remnants of South
Bend's manufacturing history. The project will bring the total demolition in the entire
Studebaker corridor to nearly 2.5 million square feet with another 1 million square feet in
the Oliver Plow area.
"This will open up the land for new jobs, new investment and new pride," Mayor Stephen
J. Luecke said. "These sites will be reused as productive business parks where people
once again can find employment opportunities in the inner city. This is not only good for
the environment, it is also an important part of our Smart Growth strategy."
Located directly across from South Bend Police headquarters, the former South Bend
Lathe's demolition and environmental remediation will begin in June with expected
completion by May 2008.
"It will have a very visible impact on the entire area," said Andy Laurent, project
manager for the Sample-Ewing Development Area for South Bend's Community and
Economic Development department. "This South Bend Lathe project is one of the most
visible phases of the demolition. ... I would expect, if dollars are available, to have all the
land cleared in early 2009."
The former Studebaker Foundry is the last remaining site in the vicinity for acquisition
and demolition.
Following demolition and environmental remediation, the city anticipates new
construction of a light industrial park with private investment of up to $46 million and the
creation of as many as 1,700 new jobs over the next 15 years. The effort is being funded
by the city of South Bend as well as federal and state grants and loans, including a recent
$9 million Housing and Urban Development loan.
The South Bend Redevelopment Commission bought the property for $665,000 in 2006.
In January, the commission ordered the installation of a perimeter fence around the site
and authorized the South Bend Police Department to patrol and train on the site to
prevent trespassing, looting and security problems.
In 2006, the city began demolition of the adjacent 40-acre Studebaker/Allied Stamping
Plant property to make way for a new Transpo headquarters and maintenance facility, as
well as to clear land for the light industrial park. Design work is beginning, and Transpo
expects to be in a new facility in 2008.
The former South Bend Lathe facility was built in 1917 as the machine shop and engine
plant of the Studebaker Corp. South Bend Lathe moved to the site in 1965 when
Studebaker went out of business. The firm grew to become the world's leading
manufacturer of precision lathes, employing 900 at its peak. South Bend Lathe was 94
years old when it stopped production on site in May 2002.
The facility has been vacant since 2003, but South Bend Lathe has continued to provide
jobs in the community from a new location on Bendix Drive near the airport.
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