SOUTH BEND -- In the coming weeks, something will be missing on west Sample Street as the walls of the last two Studebaker factories in the corridor come tumbling down.
Demolition has begun on what was once the Studebaker engineering building and the Studebaker foundry.
For the past three months, the interiors of the buildings have been gutted and equipment and asbestos have been removed, said Ann Kolata, senior redevelopment specialist with the city's Department of Community and Economic Development.
There will be no spectacular explosions for the 750,000-square-foot facilities, as heavy machinery can be seen clawing away at the historical framework.
"Everybody wants to see it," Kolata said of explosives being used, "but no, it's not necessary."
Already 1.8 million square feet of buildings have been removed. At the end of this phase, the total will be seven buildings and more than 2.5 million square feet as the city makes room for Ignition Park.
"It's rewarding to see it finally coming to this point," Mayor Stephen Luecke said of the development.
"Ignition Park is an opportunity to fill the space with better-paying jobs and to maximize the investment that can happen there," he said.
Transpo's transit facility is already operating in Ignition Park, and later this year Data Realty LLC will begin construction on its $20 million data center. The startup data storage firm is based at Innovation Park at Notre Dame.
Kolata said there are still remnants of the Studebaker era throughout the city including a privately owned building on Prairie Avenue near Sample Street and several other buildings off Chippewa Avenue that are still being used.
Several artifacts were saved, including the Studebaker wheel medallion and cornerstone from the engineering building, which was given to the Studebaker National Museum. The "S" medallion from the exterior of the foundry building and a guard shack with brick pillars and wrought iron fencing were put into storage for a future use.
The clearing of the area cost a little more that $6 million, Kolata said. Because of the buildings and their energy deficiency, it was more cost-effective to rebuild than to restore.