A win for Studebaker enthusiasts: original guardhouse will be rebuilt
The old guardhouse will be rebuilt outside the Studebaker plant.
Thursday, the South Bend Redevelopment Commission transferred the property, so it could be added to the Renaissance District technology campus.
It’s a move that made Studebaker enthusiast Tim Janowiak cheer.
“We’ve been working on this for many years,” Janowiak said of his fellow history buffs, who have worked for decades to bring back the antique staple.
The guardhouse is currently sitting in pieces inside Building 84, as the Studebaker plant is transforming into a technology campus.
The brick building and fence won’t have a set purpose once rebuilt, other than to serve as the unofficial welcome gate to the three-building campus.
“There probably won’t be any dedicated use for inside the building but the value of having it there is it’s visible and accessible,” Chris Dressel, planner with South Bend Community Investment said.
Dressel credits the efforts to preserve the building to Janowiak.
“Tim has been a fantastic, more than a supporter, he’s really been a champion the process,” Dressel said.
Janowiak says this is more than nostalgia.
He’s hoping the artifact helps attract tourists to the area.
“Even a small thing like the guard house is just a major accomplishment because it’s just great to see something built back up instead of taken down,” Janowiak said.