Fat Daddy's building investment included in 2018 budget

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The city is looking to commit big bucks in the 2018 budget to turn around a site residents are calling an eye sore.

 “When Fat Daddy’s was here this was looking like a true downtown,” said resident William Trozzy. “If you saw street walkers, that’s because they were going to the businesses, not just homeless people here and there.”

There’s traffic down Michigan and Monroe just not a lot of folks on foot.

Residents say the former surplus store, Fatty Daddy’s, was once an anchor for thriving shops in the area.

The now degraded building is surrounded by more empty buildings today.                                                                             

“It shut down, it was abandoned after that, like in no time,” said Trozzy.

The city expressed interest in maintaining the building’s façade as it was built in the early 1920s.

A buyer emerged in July.

“We’re under contract with Commonwealth Development to put income-eligible senior housing behind,” said David Relos, with economic development resources.

With that interest, the city’s Department of Community Investment will set aside $1.7 million dollars in the upcoming budget to prepare the site for a much-needed makeover.

“The plan is to save the east and north historic façade, brace and stabilize them, demo the buildings behind and have someone come in and do new construction,” said Relos.