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South Bend Redevelopment Commission <br />Regular Meeting -July 20, 2007 <br />6. NEW BUSINESS (CONT.) <br />K. Other <br />() continued... <br />been increasingly apparent in recent decades. <br />In the case of the South Bend region, the <br />rapid and considerable development along <br />Grape Road and Main Street changed the <br />gravitational center of commercial and retail <br />for the region. For decades the City of South <br />Bend struggled to compete and find a new <br />identity in this new commercial landscape. <br />In trying to serve the ever changing <br />demographic within the River Park <br />Neighborhood, Mishawaka Avenue has been <br />a part of the City of South Bend's multi- <br />decade struggle. While attempting to both <br />supplement and compete with franchise retail <br />within the city and region, the "Avenue" has <br />fallen short due to limitations in several <br />areas. <br />The nature of the layout of the corridor <br />allows for little or no additional space for <br />growth or development. The corridor is <br />essentially landlocked to the north and south <br />by residential properties. In addition, large <br />recreational (Potawatomi Park/Zoo) and <br />institutional (Adams High School, Indiana <br />University South Bend) dominate the <br />available space along the corridor. While the <br />limited number of vacant, available lots on <br />the corridor can certainly be viewed as an <br />asset, it can be argued that this limitation also <br />lends to a lack of development potential. <br />The pattern of development within the region <br />has led to a near cessation of new growth in <br />the corridor. In the last two decades alone, <br />57 <br />