Developers adding another apartment building DTSB, locals questioning move

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -

“I know my city and I know that that is an outrageous amount,” said Teri Davis, a South Bend resident.

Teri Davis is a South Bend native who describes herself as a hard working middle class resident who knows her city well. She says she can’t help but notice the sudden burst of new, but expensive apartment buildings going up around town. And soon, anther one is set to pop up.

“The Hibberd building is a building that exists and that is going to be redeveloped and turned into apartment units,” said Brian Pawlowski, the Acting Executive Director of Community Investment in South Bend.

Pawlowski with the city’s community investment team says you’ll begin seeing construction on the old Hibberd building on Main Street downtown come the end of this year.

“14 or so units with also ground floor, or whole building retail, commercial, so it’ll be really cool use, right across from the library, very populated area,” said Pawlowski.

But the issue with residents: the price.

“The developer shared today that probably somewhere around the order of a thousand or more,” said Pawlowski.

“There’s no people around this whole are that are gonna say ‘Oh yes, I want that apartment, especially studio! Do something sensible,” said Davis.

The average price for a studio apartment in South Bend is about $450, but Pawlowski says with all of these new apartments coming to fruition, you’re at least getting more options.

“Given the amount of apartments we’re going to have downtown there’s going to be a pretty wide range of pricing that takes place. There’ll be a lot of different options for people,” said Pawlowski.

But Davis still isn’t convinced the city is keeping middle class workers like herself in mind with these new projects.

“You know something that someone can grab a handle on instead of ‘oh well you have to have 700 down’….. please! Just think about the people that are like me… middle class, you know,” said Davis.

Pawlowski says his team has a good track record of established trust so far and he truly believes this is a project that will benefit the community, but folks like Davis say they want to see prices within reach for those that live here in South Bend.
 

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