Hi, I'm Jeff Rea, your host for Economic Outlook.

Welcome to our program.

We hope you enjoy the show.

Please make plans each week to join us as we discuss the region's most important economic development initiatives with a panel of experts.

We're wrapping up another season of economic outlook.

George and I have taken you to all corners of the region for an inside look at the people and the projects driving economic growth in the region.

We're sitting down to reflect on some of our favorite shows, and to talk about some of the great things happening in the region.

Coming up on economic outlook.

We welcomed dozens of guests to the studio and take you out and introduce you to some great people and projects in the region.

My co-host and I, George Lepeniotis are reflecting on this past season of economic outlook.

Welcome, George.

Thank you Jeff.

Thanks for having me back in studio.

George, you know I tease in promo and some others that you and I rarely get a chance to be together because you're in the field.

I'm in the studio and such, so.

So I've really enjoyed these chances in the past couple of years where we've had a chance to reflect on our season a little bit.

Yeah.

Me too.

I think it's such a great opportunity to talk with you and talk about some good stories, but be more importantly, be in the air conditioning, where I'm not sweating or avoiding traffic.

Yes, exactly.

We do a great job in the field.

I'm grateful for the partnership that we have and look forward to catching up a little bit today.

So, George, maybe frame of reference.

Just to start, people, I like to remind folks, this isn't your day job or my day job.

So you know what?

What's George do for a living again?

So, I am an attorney with Kreig Devault.

I'm a corporate, attorney by trade.

represent corporate clients throughout the region and municipal clients, and, enjoy doing that.

I was born and raised in Bridgman, Michigan.

and practice here in South Bend, Mishawaka.

and that's what I do for a living.

But you're right.

This is not our day job, right?

No, I awesome.

And, George, you do a great job.

You're still a terrific connection to for us in Southwest Michigan.

It's a really important part of the region.

And we really have strived to try to get to all corners of the region.

And and so I appreciate you helping open some of those doors in across the region for us.

So so, George, let's start back with, you've been at this a couple of years now.

talk to us about what first excited you to join, PBS Michiana, the WNIT team here?

Yeah.

Yeah, it was a unique opportunity for me.

I had never done anything like this before, but as a lawyer, we are trained in inquiry.

You know, being curious has always been a affliction of mine.

And so when I was approached by then executive producer of the station, to potentially be your co-host and work with you on the show, I actually was excited about the opportunity.

And, you know, surprisingly, nine years later, I'm still excited to do it.

It's such a great opportunity to get out, to talk to people, to see things that I wouldn't otherwise get to see, especially with the field component.

It takes me into factories, behind the scenes, down into dugouts, into construction sites and places where many of us drive by every day and go.

I wonder what that is.

So, it's been a great partnership.

And, you know, I just can't say enough about the work you do, though, because I think, you know, we we talk about connections and the connections that you bring, just make that possible.

So, you know, I mean, you're being so plugged in and being, president of the chamber representing businesses throughout the area.

I hope they feel we do a good job, I think.

So we we get some wonderful feedback.

I think people are excited about joining us and diving a little deeper.

You know, no offense to mainstream media, mainstream media that gets usually about a minute or two to tell the story.

We get to 25, usually to to tell the story.

And so this nice, mix of in the studio and out in the field, I think it's a great thing.

Talk for a quick second, PBS, Michiana Wnit celebrating 50 years a little bit just mentioned that for a second and what that means to the community.

Well, it's funny because I have a go to line when I'm out in the field talking to people, and that is that this is a public service that we do to help showcase the positive stories of our community.

Our community is a very unique community and you know it.

I've said it before to you here at this table, we are a regional powerhouse, but without the region, we may not be quite the powerhouse.

And you can see that in things like the vibrancy of the U.P.

mall, where many malls are dying, the U.P.

mall still stands on its own, and that's largely because it's serves such a large community up into Michigan, East and west of Saint Joseph County, even south of Saint Joseph County.

so, you know, I think that for 50 years Wnit's been a big part of that and shows like this doing local shows, doing shows that are focused on who we are as a community is so important.

It is and is very neat for me to watch the last couple of years is that portfolio has grown not only on the economic side, education, a lot of kids, programing and politically speaking, some terrific programing there.

And we get a chance to watch all of them.

And we're grateful to be part of the the PBS Michiana team and excited to celebrate and encourage folks to watch the documentary.

about for 50 years, which is a it was a tremendous piece that reflects on it.

So, George, let's focus more on this this season.

The job kind of the local economy.

What's going on this kind of so, so, so you know, we send you out each year some of the same places, some new places and stuff.

So so let's, let's start reflecting a little bit on this year and maybe a couple a favorite place or two that you might have had a chance to go out and visit, while you're doing a field shoot.

Yeah, yeah for sure.

I mean, you know, you start always with the South Bend Cubs.

It's always a fun time to go to the ballpark and see what they've got cooking.

and it's not always just hot dogs.

There's always a lot of activity at the park.

Under the leadership of the Berlin group.

and Joe Hart, they've really taken so many strides forward into becoming a world class sporting organization, which in places like South Bend, you know, is, is a challenge, you know, I mean, the University of Notre Dame has done it right for so many years that some of the other organizations got eclipsed by that powerhouse.

But I think the Cubs really have done a great job of standing on their own.

So it's always fun to go see that they've got expansion plans.

They're going to add an upper deck.

they're going to add some more amenities to the ballpark.

they're going to add, I believe some additional suite type, opportunities.

it's a great place for businesses throughout the area to host events.

And so that's always fun.

Yeah.

No.

And let me maybe build on that for a second, because as you mentioned, the stadium, there's a $50 million planned expansion that will begin the day after this season starts.

And so to hear Joe and Andrew, talk a little bit about what that expansion will mean to the community right now, the attraction, brings in over 300,000 people a year, to downtown.

And so to, to really build on that, expand the stadium to 10,000 seats is pretty exciting.

So we always enjoy kind of that catch up.

We usually go out there and you get the fun part of that.

You get to go to the I get to the stadium, I usually get to wear the hardware, though.

I didn't get to wear the hardware.

You got that much.

But I tell you what I do is we've been blessed every time we seem to go to the ballpark.

It's a beautiful day.

As a matter of fact, I think a couple of years ago we went in February and it was an, you know, a 60 degree February day.

So the ballpark always seems and you're a, you're always complaining about it's cold and windy and wet and.

Well, you ask me about now, you asked for my favorite.

That was one of them.

All right.

You know, that's good.

So let's stay in the sports, realm for a second, because we sent you out to the Mishawaka Sports Complex to field the fieldhouse.

this year, that's a, you know, kind of youth sports.

What's going on in that space is is pretty phenomenal.

Mentioned your visit out that way.

Yeah for sure.

Yeah I, I met with your successor, Mayor Wood.

you know and for those of us, those of our viewers that don't remember that far back you were mayor of Mishawaka at a point in time, the youngest mayor of Mishawaka.

Yeah.

long time ago, but, but but, you know, the foundation that you built out there really has shown through.

And Mishawaka, Mishawaka is taking strides to, to reinvent all parts of the community.

And so they looked at the Far East Side.

They have that Capital Avenue corridor, and Mayor Wood and his team, realized that there could be that could be a real nice entry into Mishawaka, and are capitalizing on it.

So that sports complex, from what I understand, is going to be the largest of its kind in the country, according to the developer, with indoor facilities for a multitude of sports, and then plans for potentially bringing in outdoor fields and such.

But the real key is the indoor facility for northern communities where soccer games, basketball games, volleyball games, can all be played indoors, under a massive roof.

Yeah.

It's exciting.

People have often wondered what this huge building is because it is pretty massive.

And, and so scheduled open August of 24.

So just a little bit later this summer, I got an early suggestion for a field shoot next year, George versus Jeff, one on one on the pickleball courts in the new sports complex.

Don't you think?

It's just right down the right down the idea.

Right?

That right here.

Think about it over the summer and, we'll see.

Ball.

Yeah.

First I have to learn how to play.

Okay.

All right guys.

Oh then I got an advantage.

So good.

So George, let's let's talk about a few others.

So because within days probably of when this episode is going to air, another new large attraction is ready to open out on the west side of South Bend.

Tell us a little bit about your trip out to the west side of South Bend.

Yeah, so I'm assuming you're talking about Choco Dino World.

Yes.

Mark Tarner and his team, developed one of the most unique attractions I think I've ever been to.

and it it will.

It will ring true as a as a true, Willy Wonka-ian type experience.

everything from a chocolate factory and a and a exhibit on the history of chocolate making to the other side of the massive complex, being Indiana's Dinosaur Museum.

Mark has long had a passion for, paleontology and dinosaurs.

And he brought his professional passion and his personal passion together and built a massive, attraction that had a lot of partners and is going to be a unique place for families to stop.

It is geographically, correctly located.

I mean, it's right in between Indianapolis coming up 31 and heading north into Michigan, Detroit, some of the tourist areas up along the Michigan coast.

So I think, I think Mark's excited.

I believe he's opening here late June or that's the target.

we toured the museum.

it was in the middle stages of being put together and had a lot of exciting things, including places where kids can dig for their own fossils and their own dinosaur bones.

and, you know, had so many, 2 or 3 different dining options.

And, like I said, conveniently located in an intersection that I think will end up being one of our premier West side intersections, it's great.

I'm back in the field shoot idea next year.

Okay.

Should they bring us both back?

Yes.

How about George out digging for dinosaur fossils?

For fossils and dinosaur bones out in the back?

There's going to be a.

Are you going to be there, too?

No, no.

Just you.

Just you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We're going to take you out on a cold fall day and, Okay.

And heavy digging for dinosaur bones.

I think it's indoors.

I'll be in good shape.

Perfect.

You're in good shape.

Good.

But don't don't pay, Mark not to plant them.

I think someone has to put them up.

Okay.

All right.

Sounds good.

All right, well, I've got I'm full of ideas.

Okay.

I'm loving it.

Good.

so let's just pop round a few more that that I think have been.

So one thing we've try to do is highlight different parts of the region.

Right.

So we went to Southwest Michigan which over county we go to Marshall County, some of that.

So talk a little bit about just a few of your visits to that.

You know, like we tend to be a little South Bend focus, I'm sure because of, of just this large county and a lot of activity happening there.

But but what's happening in the, in the counties around us is critical as well too.

So I mentioned a little bit about just a few of those things, whether it be your trip to Southwest Michigan or Elkhart or Marshall County.

Well, you know, it's funny because as I was looking through the list of episodes, I did notice that we did spend a lot of time in and around Saint Joe County in South Bend this season, which isn't always abnormal.

I mean, that seems to be part a big part of the show, but normally we spend more time in Elkhart and Marshall County.

I think that as I thought about it and Berrien County, of course, my home, as I think about it, I just think there was so much activity in Saint Joe County this year.

you know, we talked about READI 2.0 and that that drove a lot of activity in and around here.

and I think that that's really something that South Bend Mishawaka have been taking major steps to reinvent, major things.

Right?

I mean, one of our last episodes was the Madison Lifestyle District, which is going to be a completely reinvention of an entire neighborhood.

That's not something you see every day, right?

but we did make it to Marshall County, where we've often been and we've seen a lot of progressive growth down in a small community, and one that's some growth, from back in the days when they were doing spec industrial buildings, to redoing the theater downtown Plymouth.

Yeah.

the theater.

I'm sorry.

Yeah.

with ready funds.

Yeah.

So, you know, that's right.

But it definitely.

I mean, that theater has been a catalyst for that community and has become its icon.

Its, you know, Golden Dome, if you will.

And they're proud of it.

And you can tell.

And I think that's the type of things that we're seeing in all of our communities, where they're galvanizing around monumental projects to reinvent the way they live, the places they live, and, their community spaces.

Yeah.

And let's hit on Elkhart a little bit, because I think historically, we sent you a few, several times in particular downtown, and to look at Lerner's theater and to look at, riverfront redevelopment, a lot of new housing going down there.

You mentioned just Elkhart real quick.

Yeah.

Well, we went over to Elkhart and we spoke on one occasion.

We spoke with your counterpart in Elkhart County, the president of the regional chamber over there.

I told him he was my favorite chamber of commerce.

Yeah.

and he's, he's a great guy, and he really does seem to have a pulse of that community, which I think Chamber of Commerce have to do in order to be successful.

but I think Elkhart, you know, a couple of years ago, you saw major investment in its downtown with the aquatic center in that lifestyle district right by the river there and some some major investment in the Hotel Elkhart.

We did a episode on that.

and so this year, as we looked over there, it's been a different year for Elkhart County.

Their industry has been a little bit down.

I mean, the RV industry is still doing well, but not at its major peaks and heights that it once had.

but, you know, it was it was exciting to see how there are addressing issues in some of the collar areas.

Goshen, for instance, with some housing, opportunity is coming up and how, you know, and I think that's something that our other counties, Marshall as well, talked about how housing is the next important, Hill that they have to climb.

And conquer, especially as we're seeing massive investments in almost all of our viewing counties.

Yeah.

You know, we focus completely on housing.

One of our shows, just just for that fact that everybody's talking about.

So, you know, if you go back to the, crisis of 2008, I think it is, we're still recovering from 2008.

And in terms of the number of houses, some of these job announcements have people interested in what's going on on the housing space and so love to highlight.

And whether it's Berrien or Elkhart or Marshall or Saint Joe, there's a lot of neat things we do downtown Mishawaka a few times as well for the riverfront, redevelopment over there.

You've seen the Avalon and is up and running mill.

And now, to Avalon, to the mill as well.

So.

Yeah, I mean, who would have thought of that the first time we went out to the mill and interviewed Mayor Wood there?

Yeah.

and I don't think the mill was completed yet.

And that was not that long ago.

In that short space of 3 or 4 years, you've seen that park, completely renovated, ironworks built, you know, the skating experience, the wintertime experience, making it a full season community and a full season resource for the community.

Mayor Wood put it, I believe his line was, this is where people used to come get their paycheck.

This is now a place they can come hang out and spend something, a paycheck.

and I thought that was a fair statement.

It's still is a vibrant the redevelopment down there.

you know, and I think that really is a testament.

I talk about you and your time at Mishawaka, but, it wasn't so long ago that that was an industrial wasteland.

Yeah, it sure was.

You know, it really was.

Yeah.

2,000,000ft² of buildings, there.

And and really, I wonder if could we ever get it out of the way and redevelop it?

And it's been neat to see it for me, my entire professional career has been the evolution of of those industrial buildings to where it is today.

And now 700 plus residential units, either completed or under construction or planned for that area.

It's it's really it's so neat to see how many people, meet or expand down there.

So, so when you, when you start putting all this together and you think of you met you touched on Madison lifestyle district, we talked about downtown Mishawaka, mentioned, Benton Harbor and some of the renovations that are happening up there, Niles and Plymouth and Culver and, you know, on and on.

We've had a chance to tell a lot of great stories and highlight, some of the great projects happening in those years.

It's been fun.

I want to switch for a second because we've had a transportation focus a few times.

through the years, we have, planes and trains and automobiles.

Those are a little bit.

And, we tried to send you on some we're on wayward adventures on that.

And, I haven't been able to get you to take advantage of my one way ticket.

So yours demand round trip?

I don't know.

So, so let's, so talk about that.

You've been out to, South Airport or covered South Shore.

talk a little bit about those two and why those two are such important drivers for our economy.

Right.

Yeah.

You know, when you talk about the airport, I've always felt that the airport is such an important part of that regional economy, whether it was a few years back when we did an episode on Project Propel, or this year when we went out and and looked at potential expansion of the terminal and some of the thought patterns there.

And, new staff that are out there, new leadership, of course, Mike Daigle is still, you know, driving the bus and doing a great job, but, the bus, the plane, but, you know, South Bend Regional, South Bend International Airport, my apologies is such a big part of our, local economy and has thrived.

I feel like, every year we go out there, they've got visions, they've got ideas, and we've seen those ideas implement and come into practice, and they've made it a more vital and important group.

on my family.

And I know yours as well, relies on it.

We we if we can avoid driving to Chicago, to to fly, we do.

and so I think that, there's more to come.

Yeah.

And that's what got me really excited and some terminal improvements that are going to make that that customer experience better.

Right now we're watching the tarmac, get at some of the, I don't know what you call it.

The aprons and different things are getting built.

Those are expensive things.

It is a new car wash. You run a car facility out there.

And so there's a lot of great projects happening out there.

We just recently did South Shore here for the end of the year in South Shore celebrated the completion of the double track.

There's still some talk about improvements here.

Mentioned South Shore.

Yeah, I mean South Shore is a unique community asset always has been.

And and we know the statistics show that the that the hardest part of it's existence, at least from the passenger side.

You know, many don't know the South Shore is both a commuter line, but it also has a freight component, not the type of freight that you would see on the Norfolk Southern line with container upon container, because it's just not possible on the south shore with electric lines above.

But there's, you know, it does dual function for our for our regional economy.

But, you know, from Michigan City to South Bend has always been a challenge.

you know, the the running gripe is you can see South Bend Airport, but you're 20 minutes away from getting off the train there, which is a unique challenge.

So we know that the double track project is, is almost complete.

I believe it's open.

Yeah.

Complete and done.

Open now, to the west of us.

Yeah.

but that we still have some challenges here in and around the airport, but I believe that there is, you know, a significant amount of support for keeping the station at the airport, and completing the double track all the way to South Bend to make sure that it is a vibrant connector to the communities to the west of us.

And I don't just mean Chicago, I mean, there there's there's a lot of communities between here and there that that could benefit from that, from that connection.

And South Bend could also benefit or our region even, and like you said, having it at the airport provides access to rental cars, that provides access to a lot of different support facilities that that the South Shore would need.

But, you know, it was it's always an interesting show, to talk about the South Shore just because it's such a unique, asset.

Sure.

Yeah, it's it's terrific.

An asset many communities don't have is we're starting to, wind down.

We've got a lot still to talk about, so.

But.

So you can't talk about anything or the economy without mentioning Notre Dame.

And so I think a couple, a couple of key ones that I really enjoyed this year in the studio, talking about commercialization at Notre Dame.

And then, we also did cover the 3MT competition out of Notre Dame, where you went into the laboratory and, and talked out there, mentioned just your experiences on campus with, with shows like that.

Well, so let's start with 3MT because that was probably one of the most unique shows I've ever done.

Yeah.

that young lady was extremely impressive.

She, was a graduate student at the Notre Dame, at the University of Notre Dame and she was able to explain this extremely complicated, scientific process that she was working on.

And it reminded me of one of the things that we struggle with as a region and that is retaining that top talent.

and so when you look at the rest of the shows, I feel like the rest of the shows are all about creating a community where someone like that young lady would be extremely happy to stay here and could find, could find success and satisfaction in our community.

and I don't know that we're there yet, but we're getting there.

I think we're making major strides.

The other one on the commercialization, we're seeing the University of Notre Dame step up and really become a community partner.

recently, they've announced a major investment in downtown South Bend, which is the type of major influence that that that our cities need.

and, and so it's great to see, you know, the, the scanner that we saw on that episode is could be revolutionary, right?

I mean, it's it's in the treatment of breast cancer and the treatment of breast cancer.

It is it is literally you walk in and just a quick wave of the wand and they've got markers that can potentially tell you if you are at risk or you've got issues.

And and for the fight against cancer, I think that's huge.

And so that's those are the types of things that that you would really that are, that are speak to the mission of Notre Dame and what it brings to our community.

Yeah, it's interesting.

We get in our last three minutes or so, I think of some big projects that we didn't necessarily get a chance to touch on this year, but maybe on our agenda for the for the future.

So recently, our region has had some terrific announcements.

Microsoft doing a project in Newport County, a major investment.

Microsoft has bought some land in Saint Joe County to do a major project.

AWS has announced an $11 billion, project in Saint Joseph County.

GM has announced, three and a half, $4 billion projects in St. Joe County.

The Amazon project in Elkhart County is back up and running and should be open next year.

So.

So as we head into our next season, boy, there's a lot of excitement about projects.

And I think a lot of opportunity to help, help our viewers get a chance to see firsthand and learn more about those projects, I hope so, I will tell you that I think that you just hit on not only a greatest hits wish list, but kind of a triumvirate between Amazon, Microsoft, and GM of, dream investment.

You know, there are communities across the country that would die for one of those three entities to make a major investment.

We have three of them looking to make not not just an investment, but for instance, the Amazon project is the largest investment in Indian history by three plus times, right?

Yeah.

I mean, it's it's you know, we talk about South Bend being an old company town and the loss of Studebaker and how long it took to recover from that post-industrial, situation to the future.

Looks extremely bright for Saint Joe County, which I think really speaks to the rest of the communities because, as we said, we still are a regional economy.

It is.

And it's interesting, as we've been with those companies and they look at commuting patterns and stuff, they really are drawing from the broad region and the workforce programs in the region.

And and it's interesting because I like I hope our viewers see in the stories that we tell how all this sort of weaves together.

Right?

So we've told a lot of quality play stories, a lot of housing, stories, a lot of education stories, a lot of things about what's going on.

And really, we we get this important role to help tell the stories of the, of the community and show people that.

And I think that helps with all of this.

And and I don't think we have some of those projects without all the other things that are that have been going on in recent years.

So, George, this has been great to catch up with you.

and thank you for the good work that you've done, save for your big thanks to the Wnit team here who's been phenomenal to work with as well to.

That's it for our show today.

On behalf of the entire team here at Wnit PBS Michiana, we want to thank you for watching on wnit or listening to our podcast to watch this episode again or any of our past episodes.

You can find Economic Outlook at wnit.org or find our podcast on most major podcast platforms like us on Facebook.

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I'm Jeff Rea I'll see you next time.

This Wnit local production has been made possible in part by viewers like you.

Thank you.