SOUTH BEND — Main Street Row looks a little different as demolition has begun at the University of Notre Dame’s Colfax Corner project, which will reimagine the historic former South Bend Tribune building and Main Street Row into a Tech and Talent hub.
The project will incorporate the former Tribune building and a new five-story building at Main Street and Colfax Avenue, separated by an outdoor courtyard.
As part of the first development in the Downtown South Bend 2045 Plan, the Tech and Talent hub will become home to new jobs such as data analytics, artificial intelligence and advanced computing.
As the Tribune previously reported, the project could create 400 full-time jobs and 340 temporary construction jobs. Nearly 125-150 of the possible jobs will be associated with Notre Dame.
Notre Dame was awarded a $30 million matching grant from Lilly Endowment, while the South Bend Common Council approved a Tax Increment Financing tool back in February.
The financing tool, a downtown Innovation Development District, establishes eight different TIF allocation areas.
“The Innovation Development District captures state sales and income tax and allows it to be retained within this geography,” said Caleb Bauer, former South Bend Community Investment executive director during a Feb. 12 Redevelopment Commission meeting. “An exciting tool that the state has made available to us and one that will allow us to support transformative projects in the downtown like the Colfax Corner project.”
The Tribune will provide further updates on the project in the coming weeks.
Email Tribune staff writer Juliane Balog at jbalog@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Demolition begins at Notre Dame’s Colfax Corner project
Reporting by Juliane Balog , South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Juliane Balog , South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
