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> North end could be "choice area", Andrews North End Plan discussion
JHeath
post Feb 19 2008, 11:15 PM
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QUOTE(lovethiscity @ Feb 19 2008, 10:51 PM) *

CITY HALL-NART? Hmmmm kind of has a catchy ring to it!

That's Super City Hall-Nart to you. laugh.gif
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lovethiscity
post Feb 20 2008, 07:13 AM
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QUOTE(mcstumper @ Feb 19 2008, 08:21 PM) *

I am a charitable guy, so I will make a deal with her. I will pay the cost to have her house picked up and moved to the lot that my house sits on. I will have my house torn down and out of the way. Then she will only have to pay taxes on her $100k house and the $25k lot. Heck, I will even take that tax monster lot of hers off of her hands free of charge. Since all she cares about is being able to live in that house, she should jump at the opportunity, right?

You may have missed the point. I did not imply her land was not worth $1.3 million. I meant the land under City Hall was more valuable.
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Ang
post Feb 20 2008, 10:31 AM
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QUOTE(JHeath @ Feb 19 2008, 10:15 PM) *

That's Super City Hall-Nart to you. laugh.gif


laugh.gif OMG-I'm laughing so hard I'm cryin!!! laugh.gif


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Southsider2k12
post Feb 21 2008, 01:34 PM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=39933.56

QUOTE
Riverfront District Envisioned
Officials believe more liquor licenses will help attract visitors.

Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - When Valparaiso officials had an itch to improve their downtown several years ago, they figured a good way was to attract top-flight restaurants to the five-square-block area.

So Mayor Jon Costas petitioned the state to allow him to create a special district that would allow the city to raise its quota of liquor licenses.

Michigan City officials hope to mimic Valparaiso's success by turning the Trail Creek Corridor into a special riverfront district. That would allow it to attract developers looking to build upscale restaurants along the soon-to-be redeveloped creek.

"The purpose of the legislation is to provide an incentive for economic development to spur development," Michigan City Redevelopment Commission Attorney Michael Bergerson said this week. "It's a tool used to attract investors and that could be a help to the city."

Bergerson said the city hopes by creating a riverfront district from E Street to Lake Michigan, the state's Alcohol and Tobacco Commission will allow developers to apply for liquor licenses.

The city is above its quota of licenses by 13, which could dissuade developers from choosing to build restaurants in what is planned to be a booming Trail Creek Corridor.

"Without creating this district, these new businesses wouldn't be able to exist," Bergerson said. "It's important to the development down there."

The state bases quotas on a city's population by granting one license for every 1,500 residents. The city's population is about 33,000.

Shirley Kirby, office manager for the commission, said Michigan City currently has 35 "three-way licenses" - which allow for the sale of beer, wine and liquor. The quota is 22, but has decreased as the population has dropped.

Two years ago, Valparaiso was able to procure 10 additional licenses for its downtown, and those additional licenses have borne fruit. Three existing restaurants received licenses, and two new restaurants have recently opened.

Valparaiso Economic Development Director Matt Murphy said the city wanted to turn the downtown into a focal point of the town and create a dining destination for people throughout the area.

"We realized that the downtown is important to the city's vitality. We need to be creative to keep it prosperous," Murphy said.

Dan Radke, owner of Pioneer Lumber and part owner of Bridges, a restaurant on Trail Creek, said he thinks creating a riverfront district will be a boon for the city.

"I'm excited about it. It's forward thinking," he said. "That type of business brings business. If we had four, five or 30 places like that to come, then hotels would come in. People wouldn't have to drive. They could just walk around and mingle.

"It would definitely add life to this area."

The Redevelopment Commission will present the plan to the City Council in the next month, Bergerson said. If the council approves the move, it will go to the state.

Contact Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.

A Riverfront District
To qualify for the designation of a riverfront district, the area must meet a number of requirements. The most notable are as follows, according to Indiana Code 7.1-3-20-16.1:

• The project boundaries must border on at least one side of a river and may not be located more than 1,500 feet or three city blocks from the river, whichever is greater.

• However, if the area adjacent to the river is incapable of being developed because the area is in a floodplain, or for any other reason that prevents the area from being developed, the distances described (above) are measured from the city blocks located nearest to the river that are capable of being developed.

• The request will also be considered if the permit premises are located within an economic development area, a redevelopment project area, an urban renewal area, a redevelopment area established under Indiana code, an economic development project district, or a community revitalization enhancement district.

• The project must be funded in part with state and city money and the boundaries of the municipal riverfront development project must be designated by ordinance or resolution by the legislative body of the city in which the project is located. - Jason Miller


And the comments, the first of which I believe is from our own Mox1981

QUOTE
rticle comment by: Mox

Riverfront District Envisioned
I like this proactive approach. MC has great resources, and we need leaders who will work together for the future of the area. What a great opportunity!

Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2008
Article comment by: Marty

Riverfront District Envisioned
Great idea! It will be wonderful for current business owners.

Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2008
Article comment by: greg jolivette

Riverfront District Envisioned
as a county commissioner in ohio, i know that night time attractions equals more economic development rewards. personally, my family is considering vacationing up the beach where there is more variety of attractions. we hope you pass it because we love michigan city. good luck.

Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2008
Article comment by: Patrick E Hogan

Riverfront District Envisioned
great idea to drive development and bring exciting night life to Michigan City

Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2008
Article comment by: Patrick E Hogan

Riverfront District Envisioned
great idea. this is an area ripe for development and this type of development would drive growth to Michigan City.

Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2008
Article comment by: Brian Hogan

Riverfront District Envisioned
Brilliant idea...The Trail Creek corridor holds amazing potential to enhance the entertainment offerings for Michigan City residents, as well as expanded revenue streams from tourism. The visions of developed riverfront can showcase the natural beauty of our lakefront. It would be shameful for our community leaders to turn their backs on this opportunity.
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Southsider2k12
post Feb 25 2008, 02:46 PM
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This was an email I got today...



QUOTE
Dear Friends,

Please see news that Andrews University Professor Andrew Von Maur shared today.


Professor Andrew Von Maur:

"The Michigan City North End Plan won a 2008 CNU Charter Award of Excellence - the most prestigious national award in the field of New Urban town planning. The award is primarily given to professional projects, but there is a student category. This year, we were the only school that won the award. You can learn more about the award at http://www.cnu.org/awards2008."



The Andrews University North End Plan.

28 graduate students from Andrew's University School of Architecture and Urban Design under Professor Andrew Von Maur held a series of public meetings where residents, business people, public officials, and architects and urban designers with national reputations put forth ideas to redevelop the North End of Michigan City. The ideas were captured and enhanced by the students in a comprehensive plan which looks to capitalize on Michigan City's historic downtown and proximity to Lake Michigan.

See the plan at www.andrewsurbandesign.org


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Southsider2k12
post Mar 11 2008, 07:46 AM
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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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lovethiscity
post Mar 11 2008, 07:54 PM
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QUOTE(southsider2k7 @ Mar 11 2008, 08:46 AM) *

10 years and over $130,000,000 in riverboat money. Money that by law is to be used to lower property taxes and increase economic development. What do we have? Higher than hell property taxes and an award winning plan for economically depressed Michigan City Damm we are in trouble!
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Southsider2k12
post Mar 12 2008, 06:46 AM
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QUOTE(lovethiscity @ Mar 11 2008, 08:54 PM) *

10 years and over $130,000,000 in riverboat money. Money that by law is to be used to lower property taxes and increase economic development. What do we have? Higher than hell property taxes and an award winning plan for economically depressed Michigan City Damm we are in trouble!


Especially when the news comes out that no developer is willing to take the chance on Michigan City because there is no money for lending right now, because the credit squeeze won't allow it.

That's my prediction.
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Dave
post Mar 13 2008, 01:40 AM
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from the Blue Chip thread...

QUOTE(southsider2k7 @ Mar 12 2008, 08:12 AM) *

http://www.post-trib.com/business/835670,casino.article

Boyd Gaming's Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City once again suffered the biggest year-over-year revenue drop with $15.1 million versus $20.6 million for February 2007, though it did bring in more than January's $14.1 million.



And the riverboat money looks like it's going to be dwindling as well...

Could the last one out of MC please turn the lights off?
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Southsider2k12
post Mar 13 2008, 05:56 AM
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QUOTE(Dave @ Mar 13 2008, 02:40 AM) *

from the Blue Chip thread...
And the riverboat money looks like it's going to be dwindling as well...

Could the last one out of MC please turn the lights off?


Yeah, I am not very optimistic about budgets right now. The time to strike on the North End was 3-5 years ago, when credit was cheap, and developers were just begging to build speculative areas. Then again, we were really busy doing our studies, and thinking up our plans... Now its bad enough builders are walking away from projects in Chicago. I have a hard time believing that they are going to find someone to take a chance in City for a while.
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Dave
post Mar 13 2008, 01:13 PM
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I've said it before, I expect things to change in MC, but I don't expect it to really start happening for about 4 1/2 to 5 years. One election cycle to get some folks out of office who don't seem to be doing what they need to be doing, and enough time for the economy to rebound from the sub-prime mortgage debacle.

I'm hoping that sometime in 2012 or so, we'll be able to get a "perfect storm" situation -- a progressive city government and an economy that will promote growth. Riding things out until then will be a chore, but I honestly think one of the things that will bring about this kind of change is this message board. My point is that this is one way for people to get involved, and the more people that get involved in local government, the amount of nonsense going on is going to go down, and the amount of progress is going to go up.

Sometimes I wonder if there's someone at city hall who checks this board every morning to see what's being discussed on here. That's just sometimes -- the rest of the time I'm sure of it.
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JHeath
post Mar 19 2008, 11:58 AM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=50573.94

QUOTE
3/19/2008 10:52:00 AM
Council Embraces Chicago Firm's North End Plan

Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - The Michigan City Common Council said Tuesday the North End redevelopment plan presented by a Chicago design firm is a good blueprint for what the city wants to do with Trail Creek.

And members think creating a riverfront entertainment district within the Trail Creek corridor is a needed step in following the plan.

"I believe this is an excellent step in revitalizing the area," at-large councilman Bob McKee said Tuesday. "This is a call to action and implementation. We should consider it a working document."

The council unanimously approved resolutions Tuesday accepting the plan by Chicago design firm Lohan Anderson, agreeing to apply to the state's alcohol and tobacco commission to create a riverfront entertainment district.

The Lohan plan includes a guideline by which to redevelop the Trail Creek corridor from U.S. 12 on the north to E Street on the south, turning the area into an entertainment, residential and retail mecca.

By creating a riverfront district, the city will be able to use an extra allotment of liquor licenses as incentives for developers looking for a place to build a restaurant.

First-Ward Councilman Richard Murphy, whose district encompasses the Trail Creek corridor, lauded both moves made by the council as positive steps in the revitalization of the North End.

"They're vital for us to be able to leverage the assets we have down there," he said. "We must bring more people in here to work and live in these districts. These are two large steps toward that mission."

The plan to apply for additional liquor licenses was spurred by the recent purchase of Michigan City Yacht Club and the plan to turn the building into a public restaurant.

The club sits on the Michigan City harbor near the U.S. Coast Guard station, and its owners - including La Porte County resident Ed Arnold - plan to offer beer and liquor. The city, though, is over its allotment of licenses, making it impossible for Arnold's newly named Michigan City Harbor Grille to apply for a license. Redevelopment Commission attorney Michael Bergerson said Tuesday creating the district in only one small spot would not be helpful to the rest of the area.

Arnold said he and his business partner have begun renovations on the building, in the basement of which the Yacht Club will remain in existence.

Dick Lohan, principal partner of Lohan Anderson, owns a summer home between Michigan City and New Buffalo and told council members Tuesday he's often wondered why Michigan City wasn't booming like cities in Southwest Michigan.

He said his plan should be a good start in creating a boom.

"People come to where life occurs," Lohan said. "You just need to find a developer or developers who will come into town and make a commitment to undertake such a project."



Contact Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.

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Roger Kaputnik
post May 8 2008, 08:47 AM
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QUOTE(JHeath @ Mar 19 2008, 12:58 PM) *




The problem with putting something between Michigan Boulevard and the Creek is that there will be no incentive to put stuff on the other side of the Boulevard. I have addressed this at length, and the City nomenklatura are gonna screw it up again! No wonder--they are by and large the same people!


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Southsider2k12
post May 22 2008, 11:32 AM
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http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=48517.94

QUOTE
Mixed Opinions On A Two-Way Franklin Street
Officials working on new project see a ‘merry-go-round’ of public opinion.

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Tim Haas was perplexed after hearing public comments Wednesday about plans for opening Franklin Street to two-way traffic.

"I didn't get a clear-cut understanding of what people wanted to do," said Haas, the owner of Haas and Associates. "I expected to have more in favor of converting to two-way."

Tim Bietry, head of the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce, said the city "seems to be on a merry-go-round" of shifting public opinion about two-way traffic on Franklin Street.

The Michigan City Redevelopment Commission hired Haas and Associates to develop options for converting traffic flow on Franklin in the downtown area from Fourth to Ninth streets.

Residents turned out for an evening presentation by Haas in the Common Council Chambers on Wednesday.

Mayor Chuck Oberlie threw his support behind the effort. Dan O'Brien, owner of the multi-story Warren Building, has said he would refurbish the structure if the city converted the area from one-way to two-way traffic.

Project manager Cedric Green outlined five parking options to ease the flow of traffic through the downtown corridor. The company inventoried the use of available parking and found it to be adequate.

"There's enough parking capacity for current use," Green said. "No matter what option is used, it never reaches 50 percent capacity."

Green said some recommended changes would be to reduce the speed limit from 30 to 25, relocate hydrants, install removable planters in front of businesses and repair sidewalks.

Karle Hula, owner of Maxine's Restaurant at 521 Franklin St., was more interested in talking about opening a traffic corridor extending to Lake Michigan.

"Why waste money on three or four blocks if you don't have access to the lake," Hula said.

Ed Lysaught, of Lysaught, Salmon & Company at 517 Franklin, said he was against change for change's sake.

"Some of us grew up with parking down here and the place was a mess," Lysaught said. "Why did business owners abandon the downtown? There was no place to park."

Lysaught and others pointed to the need to put up better signs to let people know how to navigate what is referred to as the loop around the North End, including the one-way Pine and Washington streets.

Green said signage is definitely an issue but the city was holding off on developing signs until plans for two-way traffic were completed.

Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.
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JHeath
post May 22 2008, 12:14 PM
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Lysaught sounds like a naysayer in this article. Especially since the project manager claims there's plenty of parking.
QUOTE
Project manager Cedric Green outlined five parking options to ease the flow of traffic through the downtown corridor. The company inventoried the use of available parking and found it to be adequate.

"There's enough parking capacity for current use," Green said. "No matter what option is used, it never reaches 50 percent capacity."


I agree with Karl Hula...If you're going to make it 2-way...open it up all the way to the lake.

This post has been edited by JHeath: May 22 2008, 12:14 PM
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Roger Kaputnik
post May 22 2008, 02:14 PM
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I say (and said, on WIMS this AM) that is makes more sense to open Pine and Washington become 2-way, and an East-West corridor be developed (say, 6th St.). Opening Franklin is a canard.


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JHeath
post May 22 2008, 02:25 PM
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QUOTE(Roger Kaputnik @ May 22 2008, 03:14 PM) *

I say (and said, on WIMS this AM) that is makes more sense to open Pine and Washington become 2-way, and an East-West corridor be developed (say, 6th St.). Opening Franklin is a canard.

Yes, you did...I heard you on the air this morning. But I respectfully disagree that opening Franklin all the way to the lakefront would be a mistake. I think there are too many out of town visitors who might like to know what a beautiful lakefront we have. If we showcase it, they will visit the area.

We absolutely need a better,more attractive east-west corridor there as well, and with the main entrance to LHP being at 6th & Wabash, it seems like a natural.

But I also believe that we need something to draw the attention back into the downtown area of MC...much like the plan of the former Winski campaign (yes, I am biased...). The two way traffic on Franklin is a good start...but it needs to be carried all the way through.
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lovethiscity
post May 22 2008, 07:57 PM
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QUOTE(Roger Kaputnik @ May 22 2008, 03:14 PM) *

I say (and said, on WIMS this AM) that is makes more sense to open Pine and Washington become 2-way, and an East-West corridor be developed (say, 6th St.). Opening Franklin is a canard.

As mayor chuck oberlie's award winning Andrews University study says. "Every expert we consulted with and we happen to agree with them Believe that the overall success of any North end re-development, . REQUIRES and DEPENDS on opening Franklin Street back up to the lake"
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Roger Kaputnik
post May 23 2008, 10:34 AM
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A canard, I tells ya. If you really want a nice City in the area bounded by 11th, the Creek, and LHPlace, you have to have some plan in mind to develop off of the obvious: Opening Pine and Washington opens a much bigger area than just Franklin St. Here is another thing: The Pioneer property is going to go condo, so that will wall off Washington Park from the Trail Creek corridor. Instead of the heart of the city having a visible, accessible park, it will be shut off from those potentially potent areas. The current City planning crowd is not doing anything new, and we are going to have the same old problems for at least another generation. It is a shame.


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JHeath
post May 23 2008, 11:09 AM
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QUOTE(Roger Kaputnik @ May 23 2008, 11:34 AM) *

... The current City planning crowd is not doing anything new, and we are going to have the same old problems for at least another generation. It is a shame.

Again...we need something to draw the attention back into the downtown area of MC... The two way traffic on Franklin is a good start...but it needs to be carried all the way through.
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