Elkhart looks at turning area into 'destination' for Indiana Toll Road motorists

ELKHART — The North Pointe Plaza area on the north end of Elkhart has been the focus of varied revitalization efforts, mainly to improve the roads and sidewalks there.

Now, officials want to go further and look into expanding the range of offerings — public plazas, a water park hotel or recreation facilities — with an eye on luring more people off the Indiana Toll Road. Mike Huber, destination development manager with the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau, envisions the area becoming a “destination,” with Exit 92 becoming a “premiere exit” on the roadway.

To that end, the Elkhart Redevelopment Commission has approved a change in scope to a planned study of the North Pointe Plaza area. Now, the focus is on how to draw Indiana Toll Road motorists to the North Pointe area in light of toll road operators’ plans to scale back offerings at the roadway’s Elkhart area rest stops.

The rest areas, one on the eastbound and one on the westbound side of the toll road, now house a Burger King, Starbucks, Pizza Hut and gas station. But when the planned redevelopment of the rest areas is complete next year, they’ll each have only a fueling station and convenience store, no eateries or java joints.