Remaking downtown Elkhart: River District Plan to transform East Jackson

Called the River District Plan, city officials and developers have looked at options for decades on how they can make East Jackson a destination for visitors and residents. The plan focuses on a 155-acre piece of land that is bordered by the St. Joseph River on the north and the Elkhart River to the south and west, currently occupied by the Easy Shopping Plaza, the empty site of the former Elkhart Foundry and the recently demolished Elkhart YMCA building. 

"This is an unprecedented amount of development," said Elkhart Mayor Tim Neese. 

Revealed earlier in April after a period for public comment, the plan was developed over an eight- to 10-month period and focuses on seven main objectives: 

• Walkable, urban and connected developments.

• An integrated mix of uses both along the streets and vertically, within multi-story structures.

• Abundant access to attractive waterways.

• High quality design of both public and private spaces.

• Diversity of users and residents.