Project Highlights 

Every project we take on starts with the simple belief that vacant spaces already hold vibrant futures.

MILKWEED COMMONS

A block reborn.

Milkweed Commons is a Herstoric Development project bringing together housing, local businesses, and green gathering spaces in the heart of downtown South Bend. Anchored by projects like The Monarch and The Hope, it will grow into a mixed-use hub where storefronts, apartments, and event spaces connect seamlessly with the green space initiatives of Milkweed Gardens Inc. Together, they will shape a true live–work–play community in the Monroe Park neighborhood.

The Monarch at Milkweed Commons

  • Once a vacant cornerstone of downtown, The Monarch is being restored as a mixed-use hub where history meets new possibility.

    With vibrant storefronts on the ground floor, housing above, and our versatile event space, the project will create opportunities for local businesses while providing much-needed housing and so many reasons to call this place home.

Residential Rehab

The Hope at Milkweed Commmons

  • The Hope is designed as a neighborhood anchor blending food, culture, and community. From small businesses to shared spaces, this development will create opportunities for entrepreneurs while offering a place where South Bend comes together.

    The Hope will house a commercial kitchen and food market with a collective model that supports shared resources and overhead costs, as well as a boutique hotel on the second floor.

Residential Rehab by Herstoric Development

  • Through thoughtful rehabilitation, Herstoric is preserving their iconic charm while making them beautiful, functional, and welcoming for new residents

    For us, housing is about much more than shelter. That’s why we design and rehab our Monroe Park homes to be dependable and dignified, attainable and beautiful.

15+

Commercial spaces designed for small businesses and entrepreneurs

CULINARY DESTINATION

Everything from coffee and baked goods, fresh foods mart, and
dining market

14+

Potential residential units with access to outdoor spaces

ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP

Community green spaces with native and edible plantings, using regenerative practices

$5M

TOTAL INVESTMENT

Mix of grant funding, public and private investment, and historic tax credits

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Restoring landmark buildings constructed in the 1920s, neglected for years and previously in danger of demolition