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Gensler selected as architect for Colfax Corner project

Author: NDWorks

A rendering of the future Colfax Corner building, formerly the South Bend Tribune building with added space. The original building is three levels and brick with windows that are backlit. The words ND from Bend and Tribune can be seen on the facade. There are trees in a tree plot center and in front of the building. The addition is 4 stories. There is a road with cars blurred driving by. The building is shown on a cloudy evening in the background.

In a May 4 news release, Ancora, a Washington, DC-based investment management firm partnering with Notre Dame, announced that global architecture and design firm Gensler has been selected to lead the design for the landmark redevelopment of the historic South Bend Tribune building and adjacent property. The new iteration, Colfax Corner, is the first phase of a mixed-use innovation hub at the northeast corner of Colfax Avenue and Lafayette Boulevard. The project will support the revitalization of downtown and align with the city’s 2045 master plan for prosperity in its urban core.

The first phase of the project centers on the adaptive reuse of the Tribune building, which has been vacant since 2019. Home to South Bend’s only daily newspaper from 1921 to 2019, the art deco landmark will be transformed into a vibrant hub for business, technology, and innovation. Complementing it, a newly constructed five-story research and office building at Colfax Avenue and Main Street will anchor the emerging Tech and Talent District, creating a welcoming downtown destination for work, collaboration, and community engagement.

The project will comprise 202,000 square feet of newly constructed or renovated innovation and research space. Notre Dame, as a leading collaborator, will occupy about one-third of the space, focused on high-impact research, innovation, and community engagement programs. The balance will be reserved for companies in advanced industries, including advanced computing, data analytics, and AI, whose research and development activities complement the University’s strengths and bring new jobs to the region.

Additionally, Anderson + Bohlander has been selected as the project’s landscape architect. They will lead the design of Colfax Corner’s courtyard and mid-block entry experience—key elements of the project’s ground-level activation strategy and central to how tenants, visitors, and the community will experience the district.

“We are thrilled that Gensler will join Ancora in bringing Colfax Corner to life,” said Shannon Cullinan, executive vice president at Notre Dame. “Their design will honor the property's heritage while providing a home to hundreds of jobs and cutting-edge research. We also look forward to the new dining and retail opportunities that will add renewed energy downtown and make Colfax Corner a true community asset.”

Source: Ancora news release 5/4/26

Originally published by NDWorks at ndworks.nd.edu on May 05, 2026.