This story has been modified to add new information.
The University of Notre Dame is moving forward with its plans for the former South Bend Tribune building, announcing the beginning of the first phase of a new tech and talent district in downtown South Bend.
According to a press release from the university, the historic building at 225 W. Colfax Ave. will be reimagined as part of the Tech and Talent District, a “keystone of the city of South Bend’s Downtown South Bend 2045 plan.” The project is a partnership between Notre Dame and investment management firm Ancora, the university said.
Notre Dame will also build a new research and office building at the northwest corner of Colfax Avenue and Main Street, the press release said, and the two buildings will anchor the district.
There are existing buildings on the site for the proposed building. A university spokesperson told The Tribune on June 13 that the building will be new construction, and Notre Dame will provide additional details in the future.
Construction began on the building in 1919, and it served as The Tribune’s home from 1921 to 2019, when the newspaper temporarily moved its operations to Union Station and then to its current location in Studebaker Building 113 in August 2020. Notre Dame acquired the vacant building in 2023 and, in 2024, announced its plans to turn it into The Downtown South Bend Tech and Talent Hub.
In 2022, South Bend City Church agreed to purchase The Tribune’s former press building, adjacent to the north of the main building, and reopened it in March 2024 for services and other events.
According to the press release, the Tech and Talent District will bring world-class research and talent to downtown South Bend, advancing applied research in areas like data analytics, artificial intelligence and advanced computing. The district will also offer community-facing programs, trainings and workshops to strengthen the local area, according to the press release.
“Rising from the northeast corner of Colfax Avenue and Lafayette Boulevard, the district will sit at the intersection of research, industry and community,” the university said in the press release, “revitalizing a once vibrant corner of downtown while catalyzing job growth and advancing entrepreneurship in South Bend and the surrounding area.”
Pending additional design and planning work, the press release said, work is expected to begin later this year.
“The partnership between the University of Notre Dame and Ancora will breathe new life into an area of downtown South Bend in need of reinvestment — bringing research, talent and community vision together into an exciting new district,” Caleb Bauer, executive director of community investment for the city of South Bend, said in the press release. “Notre Dame’s ambitious commitment to downtown continues to deepen the relationship between the University and our community.”
Email South Bend Tribune staff reporter Rayleigh Deaton at rdeaton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame announces plans for tech and talent district using former Tribune building
Reporting by Rayleigh Deaton, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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