Kennedy Park Plan approved for South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Redevelopment plans are officially on paper for South Bend’s Kennedy Park neighborhood after the common council approved the proposal earlier this week.

“The residents, the ones I’ve talked to and the members [of the Kennedy Park Neighborhood Association], they really, really appreciate what the city is doing now,” said Viola Sims, president of the Kennedy Park Neighborhood Association.

Located near where the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Center will be built, the proposed Linden Avenue blueprints call for a place to host events plus revitalizing the street with a Main Street feel, thanks to traffic calming measures and better lighting.

“We already have a contract with an engineering firm to do the design. So we want to try to coordinate that with the King Center upgrade so it all happens as closely with each other as possible,” said Tim Corcoran, director of planning for the City of South Bend.

The Kennedy Park Plan also proposes making Lincolnway West and Wilbur Street into an area that could house unique shops. A pedestrian and bike trail starting in the same area could then connect to the King Center area.

“[The Kennedy Park Plan] produces higher morale for the residents and the folks that live in the area. It gives them an incentive to make sure their area is being taken care, and then you have people that come in that want to invest and be a part of the momentum that’s here,” remarked South Bend Common Councilman Henry Davis, Jr. (D-2nd District).

Corcoran said the Linden Avenue streetscape planning process will begin in the coming year, with construction bids anticipated for 2024.

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