Plans for 'The Dream Collective' in South Bend's Monroe Park

 

UPDATE (10:33 p.m.): The South Bend Common Council has passed both resolutions. 

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- The South Bend Common Council is voting Monday evening on tax abatements for a revitalization project on a vacant building in Monroe Park.

"A lot of people don't have access to grocery stores or fresh produce within a walking distance. And a lot of people don't have regular means of transportation," said Jasmine Bradley. "So, a big thing to address is access to healthy options as well as knowledge."

Bradley is passionate about food knowledge and empowerment, she said, and started her own pandemic business, Vegan Bites by Jas.

"I wanted to be able to still eat the foods that I liked, but also, what are the healthy alternatives?" she said about her vegan dishes.

Bradley dreamed up a concept for a community marketplace with a shared kitchen and event space, providing better access in South Bend to healthy food.

She called her vision The Dream Collective.

"I want others, other food vendors, other farmers and businesses to be able to have a space where they can afford," Bradley said, "as well as bring healthy options in the community, and address some of the issues with food insecurities and things like that."

She found partners in Charity Stowe and Rachel Mospan, the women behind Herstoric Development in South Bend. Together, they created EmpowerHER Development, LLC.

"We're really excited to have partnered with Jas to purchase this building," Stowe said. "It kind of brings together our block project there, on South Michigan."

Now, the LLC is working to make 530 S. Michigan the future home of The Dream Collective.

"Always had the dream to purchase this building and the vacant lots in between, just to make it all a cohesive development project."

To move forward, the South Bend common council has to approve two resolutions. Both would make the space an "economic revitalization area," one would grant a two-year vacant building tax abatement and the other would grant an eight-year real property tax abatement.