Downtown South Bend is a nice place to visit, but just who might be willing to live there?

In an attempt to answer that question, the city is turning to the professionals.

A New Jersey firm has been hired to assess South Bend's housing market potential.

Two new town home projects have gone up along the river in recent years, and the city would like to see more housing development in the future...

“This is something that the private sector has asked the city to assist with so it’s not something we're just doing out of speculation, as we've talked to the private development community,” said Jitin Kain, Director Of Planning, South Bend Department of Community Investment. “They've expressed an interest in this type of study so that they can make more informed decisions.”

The study would assess what kind of people would be likely to move downtown, and what price points they would pay to rent or own a home.

The study itself will cost $38,000.

It should be finished in about four months.