VISION
Accelerating the City’s Momentum
Cities do not change through a single project. They change through sustained investment, strong partnerships, and a shared commitment to long-term progress. As the first major investment in the Tech and Talent District identified in the Downtown South Bend 2045 Plan, Colfax Corner is part of a broader transformation already reshaping the city.
Alongside projects such as the renovated St. Joseph County Public Library, the Madison Lifestyle District, Four Winds Field, the Morris Performing Arts Center, and the Link Trail connecting downtown to the University of Notre Dame, Colfax Corner reflects a coordinated effort between civic leadership, higher education, philanthropy, and private investment to strengthen South Bend's future.
Backed by Notre Dame, Ancora, the City of South Bend, the State of Indiana, Lilly Endowment, regional partners, and private investors, the project is expected to bring more than 400 high-skilled jobs downtown and generate more than $750 million in direct economic impact over the next decade, establishing a foundation for continued investment across the city.
An Ecosystem, Not an Office Building
Colfax Corner is designed for organizations that want to participate in a larger innovation ecosystem.
Those who are working in sectors aligned with Notre Dame’s research strengths and Indiana’s long-term economic priorities. Notre Dame’s strengths in artificial intelligence, advanced computing, and data analytics further reinforce this draw, positioning the region to attract employers seeking both technical expertise and long-term collaboration.
400+
high-skilled jobs
to downtown
$750M
million in direct economic impact
South Bend’s Story Continues Here
Colfax Corner reflects a larger shift underway in South Bend: research, industry, entrepreneurship, and civic life moving closer together in the center of the city. Bringing researchers, industry partners, and entrepreneurs into daily proximity, the project is designed to accelerate the path from discovery to application and turn ideas into reality. It is an activation of Notre Dame’s 2033 Strategic Framework, creating a place where the University’s commitment to the city and the broader region takes form.
A Landmark, Revitalized
Built in 1921, the South Bend Tribune building was home to generations of journalism that documented the life and evolution of the city, while the neighboring Colfax Theater drew crowds for a major innovation of the era, all-sound motion pictures. Today, Colfax Corner builds on that history of activity and progress, bringing new life to the site through the adaptive reuse of the Tribune building and a new five-story addition.
PROJECT TEAM
Ancora partners with leading universities and anchor institutions to create places that bring research, talent and industry together. Through strategic real estate investment and development, the company helps build innovative communities that accelerate discovery, strengthen communities and create long-term value.