South Bend’s historic Lafayette Building could be demolished after major fire, redevelopment panel says

WVPE Public Radio reported on Oct. 9, 2026, that the South Bend Redevelopment Commission approved demolition of the downtown Lafayette Building on the condition that no developer steps forward in “the next month or two.” The commission’s action follows what the article describes as a major fire that occurred four months earlier and extensive firefighting efforts.

WVPE’s report says the city bought the building in a tax sale about a decade ago, stabilized it and put it on the market; a buyer found three years ago failed to secure financing for renovation. The article quotes officials saying the fire removed most of the roof, leaving the walls without alignment at the top, and that firefighters used about a million gallons of water to extinguish the blaze.

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