HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.21.15_New_Chapter_for_Former_Chase_TowerCITY OF SOUTH BEND
PETE BUTTIGIEG, MAYOR
Office of the Mayor
CONTACT:
Kara Kelly, (574) 235 -5853
kkelly @southbendin.gov
FOR RELEASE: Monday, September 21, 2015
NEW CHAPTER FOR FORMER CHASE TOWER WITH STARWOOD BRAND HOTEL AND APARTMENTS
Aloft South Bend, a Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide brand hotel, will occupy the former
Chase Tower, 211 W. Washington Street, remaking downtown South Bend's tallest building as
part of a $30- million mixed -use development. Starwood's first hotel in the region, Aloft South
Bend will feature 183 loft -style rooms on 11 floors of the building, 3,750 square feet of meeting
space, and a new entrance on Main Street with a restaurant and lobby bar.
The hotel and retail development is the first phase of the mixed -use project that will also feature
the conversion of former office space into 83 apartments. Rehabilitation of the existing parking
garage is set to begin this fall with the new hotel scheduled to open in early 2017.
The former Chase Tower will undergo a comprehensive renovation that will entail both exterior
and interior improvements as well as new mechanical systems. Kramer Design Group, the architect
and designer of Aloft Detroit at the David Whitney, will lead the $15 million redesign of the hotel.
South Bend -based Bradley Company is also teaming up to support the project.
"This investment follows the City's lead with the upcoming Smart placemaking efforts to create
a vibrant atmosphere downtown. Aloft South Bend will become an attraction for residents and
visitors alike," says Brad Toothaker, President and CEO of Bradley Company. "We look forward
to transforming South Bend's tallest building into a property worthy of its stature."
The building's owner, the Tower at Washington Square, LLC, will be seeking tax abatements on
the building's new components in a petition that will come before the South Bend Common
Council approval at its September 28 meeting.
"Bringing new life to this major downtown building keeps the city's economic momentum
going," says Tim Scott, Common Council President. "This will create jobs and further facilitates
a compelling downtown experience."
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South Bend will add about 500 hotel rooms over the next two years. Rob DeCleene, executive
director of Visit South Bend Mishawaka, says occupancy has been steadily increasing over the
past few years and more rooms are needed downtown.
"This welcome development will meet an increasing need for more hotel rooms downtown,"
DeCleene says. "Aloft South Bend will boost tourism and provide more options for visitors,
including convention and trade show planners, in an ideal location."
The project is modeled after Aloft Detroit at the David Whitney which also includes a hotel,
apartments, restaurant, bar and lounge areas. All apartments at the David Whitney have been
leased, according to the management company who is taking applications for a waiting list.
"A major new investment in downtown South Bend is yet another vote of confidence in our
city," Mayor Pete Buttigieg says. "The Aloft South Bend project offers great potential for job
creation and promises to make this important building a centerpiece of a thriving downtown
area."
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