At a glance (AI assisted summary)
• A 180-unit workforce apartment complex received approval to be built at a former drive-in site in South Bend.
• The complex will feature amenities like a pool, fitness center and park and will utilize solar energy to eliminate tenant electric bills.
• Units will range from one to three bedrooms, with rent costing between $900 and $1,300 per month.
SOUTH BEND — A workforce apartment complex catering to families got approvals from the Common Council to build at 314 W. Chippawa Ave. at the site of a former drive-in movie theater.
Sam Rogers, senior vice president for development with Birge & Held of Indianapolis, told councilors the 180 apartments in a five-building configuration will serve working families and include high-end amenities.
The council approved a rezoning from C commercial to S2 suburban neighborhood and a variance for an increase in height for the stacked flats planned for the site.
One-, two- and three-bedroom units planned for the site will run from $900 per month for a one-bedroom unit to $1,300 for three-bedroom units. Rogers added that the development will have high-end interior finishes, a fact that Birge & Held uses to ensure long-term viability, he said.
Rogers said the development employs a large solar array on the roofs of the three-story buildings and on the carports. The complex generates all the electricity the tenants use, which means there are no costs to tenants for electric usage, he said.
Copyright © 2025, South Bend Tribune