A 105-acre area in downtown Elkhart, Indiana - sometimes called the "Island" - had suffered from over three decades of disinvestment, characterized by decaying mixed-use neighborhoods and blighted commercial and industrial sites. Recognizing that this neighborhood would not prosper if it stayed on its current path, the city adopted the River District Revitalization Master Plan in 2017. This plan was a visionary blueprint designed to rejuvenate an overlooked and underutilized portion of the downtown area while addressing pressing urban issues such as the housing shortage. Developed with extensive community input, the Master Plan reimagined the River District as an extension of downtown - a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhood.

Pre-Planning
The renovation originated in 2015, when Indiana-based landscape architecture firm Jones Petrie Rafinski (JPR) and city planners initiated conversations with downtown business owners about the future of the area. These discussions led to pre-planning efforts in 2016, beginning with various studies and the Master Plan funded by the City of Elkhart and the Community Foundation. One study revealed that promoting retail was not viable due to the retail migration to the city's periphery having already occurred. Another study revealed that a severe workforce housing shortage was impeding the city's ability to attract skilled workers and mixed-income residents essential to Elkhart's thriving manufacturing sector. This study was later utilized as a tool to gain traction and qualify funding from both the public and private sectors for 350 new apartment units in the River District.

Anchor Projects & Project Implementation
A public-private partnership known as the River District Implementation Team (RDIT) was commissioned to create an implementation plan focusing on several key community-building elements. Many of these elements are centered around three anchor developments: Elkhart Health and Aquatics, Stonewater at the Riverwalk, and Great Lakes Capital mixed-use development.

Elkhart Health and Aquatics includes streets lined with new mixed-use developments, public parking, and an extension of the Riverwalk Trail. This state-of-the-art, $71-million, 170,000-square-foot facility became the primary catalyst for the River District's redevelopment. Initially scrutinized for its use of public funds and facing negativity due to the recent closure of a local YMCA, the ambitious project ultimately gained wide support and sparked optimism and excitement.

 

The Great Lakes Capital mixed-use development features 150 market-rate apartments at Riverpoint West and a newly rebuilt Martin's Super Market grocery store. The store's development pad was intentionally flipped to face the town green, placing the store closer to the curb and situating the parking lot behind it. This unique layout enhanced the human environment and promoted walkability for residents of the nearby apartments - ultimately leading to a built-in customer base for the grocery store.

Stonewater at the Riverwalk - a 200-unit, market-rate apartment complex with 7,000 square feet of retail space - was redesigned so the stoops face the street to enhance connection between residents and the vibrant downtown amenities. This design encourages a stronger sense of community interaction and engagement with the surrounding urban environment by promoting pedestrian activity, fostering a more welcoming and integrated street presence, and enhancing the appeal of nearby retail and cultural amenities.

Activated Parcels
In addition to the anchor development projects, the RDIT reorganized key land parcels into more urban, walkable configurations and built a district-wide design framework introducing a town green and river access node as key focal points.

The versatile, multi-purpose Town Green is designed for groups of all sizes. A central plaza with tables, benches, and sculptures provides an ideal dining spot for locals and patrons of Martin's Side Door Deli. The space boasts a simple landscape plan, with shade trees lining the perimeter and central plaza that will offer more shade as they mature. This creates a spacious urban lawn area for passive play or events like artisan markets, live music, and yoga. This site posed several challenges, including a four-foot elevation change from east to west in a relatively short distance. To address this without compromising aesthetics, arching walkways were implemented to ensure accessibility for everyone while meeting ADA slope requirements.

Known as the Riverbank Pavilion at Junior Achievement (JA) Drive, this public plaza overlooks the Elkhart River and provides an ADA-accessible walkway down to the water's edge for launching canoes, kayaks, and tubes. The plaza features benches for areas of respite and socialization, as well as a decorative, artistic, overhead trellis that serves as a terminating vista for JA Drive and as wayfinding for those on the river. Native stone boulders, approximately three to four feet in size, along with 14-inch chunks of 2' x 4' Indiana limestone were utilized throughout the space. The design team also replanted and stabilized sections of the riverbanks, aiding in natural stormwater runoff.

To encourage walkability within the area, the Riverwalk Cultural Trail was expanded. The 1.5 miles of paved trail now links all parts of the River District and connects the three anchor projects with nearby parks. According to Shelley Moore, one of the RDIT Members and President/Owner of Insight Strategic Concepts, her favorite part of the District is its focus on nature. "Embracing the rivers, trees, parks, and riverwalk - versus the historic trends of facing away from and ignoring the beauty of nature - is what makes the District unique," she said. "While much more can be done to continue celebrating these unique features, we are heading in the right direction."

Streetscapes & Parking
During the initial implementation, a "complete streets" makeover was executed for Jackson Boulevard, Elkhart Avenue, and Lexington Avenue, among other streets. This included burying utilities, reducing lane widths to calm traffic, introducing on-street parking, widening sidewalks, and planting street trees along both sides of the thoroughfare and within landscaped medians. Despite being a walkable community, the River District continues to gain attraction as a destination for residents of Elkhart and the surrounding communities. As it grows, so does the challenge of vehicular parking, necessitating better accommodation for additional events and downtown activities. The design team remains engaged with developers to create more mixed-use buildings that combine commercial and residential spaces around the central intersection of the River District.

Demographic Shifts & Economic Growth
By addressing the severe workforce housing shortage identified in the initial Market Study, the River District initiative has significantly alleviated Elkhart's housing crisis and improved the city's ability to attract and retain the mid-skill workers essential to its thriving manufacturing sector. The expanded downtown area, now rich in amenities, has also diversified the city's economy, becoming a hub for young professionals, new industries, entrepreneurs, and artists.

Since opening five years ago, Elkhart Health and Aquatics has garnered 6,500 fitness memberships and welcomed over 150,000 unique community visitors each year. This activity space alone fills over 50,000 hotel rooms annually and boosts economic activity in the immediate area.

The River District represents the largest development in Elkhart since the early 1900s, setting a precedent for future urban revitalization projects. Since its implementation, the project has generated over $300 million in investments, addressing housing shortages, retaining local talent, and attracting young professionals to the area. The initiative highlights the importance of public-private partnerships in driving urban development and creating sustainable, vibrant communities. Despite challenges, the tenacity of the private sector ensures the continued success and growth of the River District, serving as a model for other cities.