New $37 Million Development Could Transform Downtown Elkhart

ELKHART, Ind. -- Downtown Elkhart could look a lot different in the coming years. A new $37 million development is planned for the site of the former county courthouse.

Plans call for 124 apartments, six townhomes and 10,000 square feet of commercial space, along with parking for residents and the public. People who already live here say they’re looking forward to what comes next.

“I tell people all the time, Elkhart is a lot like Chicago, just shrunk down. It's very, it's diverse. You can find all sorts of different food to eat. If you like a big city feel but don't want 1,000 million people all over you, this is where you want to be,” says Elkhart resident Aaron Haitsma, who’s lived across from the site for over a decade.

City leaders hope more people will choose to call Elkhart home. The proposed $37 million project is expected to bring about 300 more residents to the area, with apartments geared toward households earning about $60,000 to $65,000 a year.

For Haitsma, that growth could also mean more opportunities for the businesses and amenities that make downtown attractive.

“Having this gone now is going to open up so much opportunity for the new development that's coming here. All the new apartments going to benefit all the restaurants and everything around here,” says Haitsma. “The learners next door, City Hall, the library, being centrally located is why I moved here and chose this spot in the first place. So having this in is going to be wonderful.”

City officials say the project also reflects growing interest from developers in Elkhart.

“This is, I think, further confirmation and confidence from the development community that Elkhart's a market that continues to see growth,” says Development Services Director for the city of Elkhart Mike Huber.

The city hopes new housing will attract workers and encourage more people to call Elkhart home.

“That over 50% of those, when they leave those developments, they're leaving those apartments and they're actually buying or building houses inside the city. So, we're retaining those residents as well, so these are really important strategies for us,” says Huber. “We know we have about 30,000 people a day who work in Elkhart who don't live here, who might want to live here and be closer to where they work. So, we're really trying to fill that gap with these housing developments.”

For people who have spent their lives in Elkhart, the hope is that more development will also mean more business for local shops and restaurants.

“That would help tremendously because you know you spend locally; it helps, you know, the businesses, you know. I just, I just believe it'll be just really positive for our economy locally, you know. It helps people,” says born-and-raised Elkhart resident George VanDiepenbos.

Even the youngest residents have a few ideas of their own.

“I want to see an ice cream shop,” says 7-year-old Calvin German.

“I want to see McDonald’s,” says 5-year-old Corina Herd.

City officials expect construction to begin in late 2027. This new development will also pay tribute to the site’s history, with plans incorporating elements of the original high school facade that were saved during demolition.