Notre Dame aims to revamp area
By LYNN OLSZOWY
News Writer
Notre Dame is taking active measures to help improve South Bend's northeast side.
The University is one of several founding members of the newly-formed Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization (NNRO). The non-profit organization is geared toward revamping seven square miles south of Notre Dame's campus.
The NNRO has already secured $1.75 million from its partners to be allocated over the next five years.
The total includes $150,000 each year from Notre Dame; $75,000 from the city of South Bend; $50,000 from both Memorial Hospital and Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center and $25,000 from Madison Center and Hospital.
According to Lou Nanni, executive assistant to Notre Dame president, Father Edward A. Malloy, the NNRO has several main objectives.
First, the group wants to make the northeast side clean, attractive, and safe.
"We want to create a little green space between the wealth of the University and the neighborhood," stated Nanni.
The NNRO also aims to establish an economically and ethnically diverse neighborhood. Other goals include attracting commercial developers, constructing new housing, increasing owner occupancy and improving educational opportunities.
Nanni stressed that the NNRO is a collaborative initiative between the University and the community.
"The University is one key player among many," he said.
Half of the organization's 14 board members are South Bend residents. The other half consists of delegates from the funding partners.
Carolyn Woo, dean of the Mendoza College of Business, will join Nanni in representing Notre Dame.
"I am very excited to be a part of the vision to create an engaging, fun, and aesthetically-enhanced neighborhood," said Woo.
Notre Dame's interest in the project is vested in the nearly 800 students living off campus in South Bend's northeast side. University officials were concerned with rising crime and violence rates near the Notre Dame and Lafayette apartment complexes.
Rather than wait for an incident of provocation, Notre Dame and the community are taking a proactive approach to renovating the area, a decision many students appreciate.
"I think it's great that the University is taking steps to make the neighborhood safer, especially for Notre Dame students," said senior Jeanette McKenna.
The NNRO will hold a press conference Thursday to announce its latest developments. Although Nanni would not disclose any specific plans, he made mention that the NNRO is currently performing a search for a chief executive officer to run the organization.
All News Stories for Tuesday, August 29, 2000
