SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) — While the Downtown South Bend 2045 plan is not set in stone, for some businesses major changes could be on the way.
Under the current proposal, the South Bend Museum of Art would directly be impacted by the plan.
Their wing of the Century Center would be removed for a riverfront park and moved to a new location.
Executive Director Lisa Shaffer says the current space was built specifically to be a museum and moving could bring challenges.
“The tall ceilings that we have, the space that we have, over 35,000 square feet. So retrofitting or fitting us somewhere isn’t as easy as just moving us to a building. There’s a lot of specific types of things an art museum needs and our studio programs need to function effectively,” Shaffer said.
While the museum does receive funding and assistance from the City, Shaffer says their partnerships with schools across our area have a big impact.
That’s not just on the museum but students and the long-standing attraction brings lots of people into the downtown area.
“We serve over sixteen hundred 5th graders from Southern School Corporation and Penn Harris Madison with our fifth grade museum mornings and sculpture quests. So we’re accessible, we’re open. We’re bringing people to downtown,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer adding that she understands the City wants to bring life to the downtown area but believes they can continue to do so in their current location.
“We are a vital piece, and we do activate the downtown. And we’ve been activating the downtown in this building for over 50 years. So being part of the Philip Johnson building is also a very big distinction as an art museum as well,” Shaffer said.
A spokesperson for the City of South Bend told WSBT 22 in a statement:
We are excited by the historic investment in our downtown and the energy around new ideas for the next 20 years. The revitalization of our convention center is essential to draw visitors to our city and activate the river to its full potential. The City hopes to continue its strong partnership with our Museum of Art, regardless of location, and looks forward to finalizing the 20-year plan in the coming months.
Shaffer did say that they have seen plans that would not remove their portion of the building, and says the museum is in communications with City leaders as plans are finalized.
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