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Union Station (South Bend)

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Coordinates: 41°40′9.59″N 86°15′17.10″W / 41.6693306°N 86.2547500°W / 41.6693306; -86.2547500
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South Bend
Exterior of Union Station
General information
Location326 West South Street
South Bend, Indiana
Coordinates41°40′9.59″N 86°15′17.10″W / 41.6693306°N 86.2547500°W / 41.6693306; -86.2547500
Platforms3
Tracks5
Construction
Structure typeArt Deco architecture
History
Opened1929
Closed1971
Former services
Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station
Lydick
toward Chicago
 Main Line Mishawaka
toward New York
North Liberty
toward Zearing
 Kankakee Belt Route Terminus
Lydick
toward St. Joseph
 St. Joseph – South Bend
Niles
toward Benton Harbor
 Benton Harbor – South Bend
Preceding station Grand Trunk Western Railroad Following station
Olivers
toward Chicago
 Main Line Studebaker
toward Port Huron
Location
Map

Union Station Technology Center is a former union train station in South Bend, Indiana in the United States.

History

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A New York Central train approaches South Bend Union Station

Opened in 1929 and situated across the tracks from the Studebaker auto plant, the building served the New York Central Railroad and Grand Trunk Western Railroad. It was designed by the architectural firm Fellheimer & Wagner.[1] NYC's Detroit-Chicago "Great Steel Fleet" and GTW's Chicago-Canada trains used this station.

When the New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 to make the Penn Central Transportation Company, it used the station as well. The last trains departed in 1971 when newly created Amtrak moved its operations to the South Shore Line station on the city's western outskirts about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) west of Union Station constructed by the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad a year earlier in 1970.

For several years after train service ceased, the abandoned station fell into poor repair, suffering heavy vandalis and losing portions of its copper roof to metal theft.[2] The building was purchased by South Bend native and University of Notre Dame graduate Kevin M. Smith in 1979.[3] Smith built a large data center for his venture Global Access Point in a large adjoining building,[4] which he renovated to become a data center, housing computing equipment from outside companies. The Technology Center is a state-of-the-art hub for digital information, providing a location for small businesses, data centers, data transport and carrier operations.[citation needed] The railway corridor adjacent to the station carries not only trains, but also a fiber-optic trunkline. The Union Station Technology Center functions as a colocation center.[5] Smith restored[2] and maintained the station's interior spaces, which were used for office space (in upper floors) and as a grand entrance space to the data center.[4] It was also used as an events space (rented for weddings and proms).[2]

There were several unsuccessful efforts over the year to return rail service to the station. In the late-1980, at the same time as efforts to move the city's South Shore Line station to its airport, there were also efforts to have the train line brought back to the city's downtown with a stop at Union Station.[6] In the early 1990s, then-mayor Joe Kernan expressed hope that the city might be able to successfully negotiate with Amtrak to secure a return of train service to the station.[2]

In November 2019, the South Bend Tribune, the city's 147-year-old daily newspaper, temporarily moved its offices into the building.[4] The Tribune previously had been located at 225 West Colfax Avenue in South Bend.[citation needed] In 2020, the newspaper moved its office to a permanent space into Studebaker Building 113 in the nearby Renaissance District, which was also owned by Smith.[4]

In July 2024, the South Bend Redevelopment Commission acquired the station for $2.4 million, with an eye of potentially returning Amtrak service to the facility.[4][7] In September 2024, the data center component was sold to Fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Potter, Janet Greenstein (1996). Great American Railroad Stations. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 314–315. ISBN 9780471143895.
  2. ^ a b c d James, Wenstits (December 30, 1990). "Kernan: Stadium's Success Contagious". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  3. ^ "Global Access Point - Union Station Technology Center".
  4. ^ a b c d e Semmler, Ed (August 15, 2024). "South Bend's acquisition of Union Station could further boost downtown development". Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  5. ^ Moreno, Hugo (September 29, 2014). "How Cloud and Fiber Are Turning Abandoned Factories Into Innovation Centers". Forbes. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  6. ^ Kurowski, Jeff (December 12, 1988). "Perron Pushes For Extension of South Shore Line". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Mazurek, Marek (July 30, 2024). "South Bend buys Union Station in hopes of attracting Amtrak". Inside INdiana Business. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  8. ^ Longe, Eniola (September 5, 2024). "Union Station data center and carrier hotel in South Bend acquired". Inside INdiana Business. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
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