North end could be "choice area", Andrews North End Plan discussion |
North end could be "choice area", Andrews North End Plan discussion |
Jan 17 2008, 08:07 AM
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Spends WAY too much time at CBTL Group: Admin Posts: 16,460 Joined: 8-December 06 From: Michigan City, IN Member No.: 2 |
http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=32796.78
QUOTE Oberlie: North End Can Be 'Choice' Area Jason Miller The News-Dispatch MICHIGAN CITY - In his annual state-of-the-city address last week, Mayor Chuck Oberlie outlined his fast-track plans for the city's North End in hopes that after the first quarter of 2008, the engine of change will be humming. Saying the area isn't pedestrian friendly or visually pleasing, he hopes the results of three studies laying out possibilities for the North End turn the area - through a unified vision - into the city's "neighborhood of choice." "The beauty of it all is that I outlined 21 different projects, and all of them will be moving forward as of (Thursday)," he said. "And they can all move forward without hurting the others." Oberlie also released a small portfolio featuring a few ideas for North End redevelopment gleaned from three studies the city has commissioned in the last two years. The most visually striking of the ideas is a large residential and commercial area along Trail Creek which, in theory, would include three large high-rise buildings just across the creek from Blue Chip Casino. Oberlie's thoughts are that developing the Trail Creek Corridor from Eighth Street to Washington Park would turn the city's North End into the crown jewel of the city. His hopes aren't without precedent. Although its size pales in comparison to that of Michigan City, the town of Saugatuck, Mich., benefits greatly from a developed Kalamazoo River, which houses not only hundreds of private boat slips, but residences, shops and restaurants like those Oberlie envisions for Trail Creek. "Our boating industry is a huge element of our success, if not the lifeblood of our town," second-term Saugatuck Mayor Tony Vettori said Friday. "And it's all due to the fact that there's so much to do right along the river. It brings in boaters and non-boaters." Like Michigan City, Saugatuck features a river that leads to a large, heavily used beach and the waters of Lake Michigan. Vettori said the beach benefits from the downtown river scene, just as the downtown benefits from the beach and Lake Michigan. "We've become an art destination and a shopping destination. And Oval Beach is rated one of the top 10 beaches in the country," Vettori said. "The water is all a part of what draws people here, and I'd think it would have the same effect in Michigan City." |
Mar 11 2008, 07:46 AM
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Spends WAY too much time at CBTL Group: Admin Posts: 16,460 Joined: 8-December 06 From: Michigan City, IN Member No.: 2 |
http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=35340.29
QUOTE City Study Receives National Attention Andrews University receiving award for its 2007 North End work. Jason Miller The News-Dispatch MICHIGAN CITY - One of the plans designed to completely change Michigan City's North End won favor from a national group which judges projects geared toward urban design. The Congress for the New Urbanism late last month awarded the Andrews University Architecture School's Urban Design Studio with a 2008 Charter Award. The award was for the study the university recently completed on Michigan City's North End. The study was the only non-professional work to win a charter award, 14 of which were given to professional studies. According to the Congress for the New Urbanism, the winning submissions "reveal the power of well-executed urbanism to strengthen communities, achieve broader sustainability and create places worthy of respect and admiration." The entries were judged by a seven-member panel. "Any time something that is done about your city wins an award, it's impressive," Mayor Chuck Oberlie said. The Andrews plan was honored along with several other plans that dealt with urbanization in places as close as Rockville, Md., and as far away as Edinburgh, Scotland, the Bahamas and Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Judges said the Andrews study "casts needed attention on economically depressed Michigan City, Indiana, showing it how to capitalize on its valuable urban form and Lake Michigan location." The award will be presented on April 5, in conjunction with the 16th Congress for the New Urbanism in Austin, Texas. Contact Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com. |
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