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In the beginning of April, Notre Dame announced that the University’s parking commission was exploring the possibility of tearing down Legends of Notre Dame to build a parking garage. There were mixed reactions to the announcement, but it seemed like the majority of people were against such a move by the University.
The Legends of Notre Dame Restaurant and Alehouse Pub is a full-service, casual dining operation which is open to the public for lunch and dinner Monday through Sunday. The nightclub at Legends of Notre Dame, on the other hand, is only open to Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College students and their guests. When the nightclub is not being used for student programming, it is open to be rented for private functions, such as business meetings, receptions, luncheons, and banquets. The club and the associated outdoor area, also called “The Backfield”, becomes a popular destination for fans on football weekends.
The announcement spawned an online petition, as well as several editorials. Like most things Notre Dame, there was a real divide in opinion of a demolished Legends between the generations. Old-timers had no real connection to the facility from their time at Notre Dame, and those that were there when it was the Alumni Senior Club expressed an indifference to the place while harboring ill-will for taking a building with “character” and making it a “low-hanging box.”
None of that matters now.
The University sent out an email on Wednesday afternoon stating that they were no longer considering such action. Legends was safe... for now.
Notre Dame decided a parking garage won't be built where Legends now stands. -- https://t.co/Wek6DKWaRF
— WSBT (@WSBT) May 9, 2018
Personally, I have no sentimental attachment to the place. I have never even been inside the establishment despite countless visits to South Bend and Notre Dame. However... for a University that prides itself on the aesthetics of the campus, a parking garage in that location just felt like the worst kind of decision — an UGLY decision. (OFDer Billy Gorman, our resident architect would probably agree with me here).
So sleep well, fans of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Legends is staying put for all your bad-cell-phone-reception-safe-place-needs.