On Monday, April 14, Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood presented the city’s 124th annual State of the City address at Mishawaka City Hall. The address was preceded by a Mishawaka Common Council session and was attended by the city’s Common Council members, city officials, teenage members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (MYAC), and other Mishawaka residents.

 

This was Wood’s 15th State of the City address. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the “Mishawaka Way,” which is a promise to work together with integrity and ingenuity to ensure that every decision made enhances the quality of life in the city. Wood offered his audience a very optimistic assessment of Mishawaka’s current circumstances.

“Our city is strong, safe, financially stable, and growing, just as it has for decades,” Wood said. “We’re guided by the same values that built this city: vision, sacrifice, hard work, progress and resilience. Because of our shared commitment, Mishawaka is thriving with new energy, bold growth, and has a future full of opportunity. Year after year, we see more energy and excitement pulsing through ‘The Princess City’ as we offer new amenities and opportunities that are on par with those found in bigger cities, However, we are still protecting the hometown charm and our family values that set Mishawaka apart.”

Wood discussed Mishawaka’s low crime rates, successful code enforcement initiatives, and community outreach programs. One such program, the MYAC’s Project Shoe City, celebrates Mishawaka’s nearly 200-year history as a shoe manufacturing hub by placing 15 fiberglass shoe sculptures – 3D printed at the University of Notre Dame Innovation lab – at culturally significant spots in the city. Each shoe will feature a QR code that links to more information on the city’s history. Using a Patronicity crowdfunding campaign, MYAC members raised $88,144 in private donations for the project, far exceeding their goal of $35,000. With the help of a campaign goal match from Patronicity, they raised a grand total of $123,144 for Project Shoe City.

Wood regards the success of Project Shoe City as a testament to the industry, tenacity, and enthusiasm of Mishawaka’s youth.

“Project Shoe City is a creative effort to reimagine and honor the legacy of Ball-Band, a company that once made Mishawaka into the shoe capital of the world,” Wood said. “The best way to keep Mishawaka strong and shape its future is to invest in our future leaders today. That’s what my Mayor Youth Advisory Council is all about and it remains my most important initiative. Since its start 15 years ago, over 200 students have participated in MYAC learning how local government works, providing community service, and contributing to real city projects. This year, 33 exceptional students from schools all across ‘The Princess City’ are helping lead the way. They’re not just learning leadership. They are living it.”

One of the most exciting infrastructure development milestones of the last year was the rezoning of a roughly 900-acre portion of the St. Joseph Farms Property located in unincorporated St. Joseph County. Microsoft purchased this parcel of land as a potential site for a data center, which, when built, will create roughly 300 jobs for local residents and lead to billions of dollars in investment.

In his address, Wood highlighted several other development projects that are underway, including the GrandView Mixed-Use Community Expansion, a complex that will feature 246 apartments, 66 townhomes, and a boutique hotel. He also listed projects that were completed in 2024, like the construction of the spacious Mishawaka Fieldhouse, which will serve as a hub for regional youth sports, and the construction of the Mishawaka Fire Department’s state-of-the-art Fire Station #2.

“I’m proud to say that the state of our city is strong and getting stronger,” Wood said. “This is because we stay focused on what matters most: safety, financial stability, infrastructure, economic opportunity, and quality of life. Thank you to our residents for the incredible honor of letting me serve them, a privilege I never take for granted. We have a ship, a captain, and a crew that can weather any storm. I couldn’t be more confident in our future. As we approach our city’s bicentennial, let’s continue to honor our past while building a future of both hope and promise.”