SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A distinctive piece of architecture in South Bend will soon undergo significant change.

The Good Shepherd Montessori School announced it will partially demolish and stabilize its 55-year-old bell tower. The school says decades of exposure to the elements have worn the tower down. According to officials, the repairs the tower needs go beyond what can reasonably be addressed.

The exact scope and timing of this project is not yet known. The school says opportunities for community input, including how to memorialize the tower and contributing financially toward preservation and redesign efforts, will soon be available.