[taxthedeer]

It's been announced that the police station is looking to move into the former Eastport Elementary/Alternative High school/early learning center on the Boulevard.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...74143040970.txt

Former school could become new police station

Police chief, council members mull idea
By Tim Moran
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, February 1, 2012 5:07 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — A number of Common Council members applauded an idea presented Tuesday night by Police Chief Mark Swistek for the city to look into the old Eastport school as a possible location for a multi-million dollar city police department building.

“Of all the places we’ve looked at, this seems like the best one,” said At-Large Councilman Joe Doyle, one of eight council representatives on hand for the workshop called by Mayor Ron Meer to discuss the status of ongoing projects and contracts in the city.

Tim Bietry, another At-Large councilman, said Swistek’s suggested location could be “a catalyst for economic development” he said has already begun along Michigan Boulevard, referring to the beautification project now in between its first two phases.

“Eastport is a great location,” he said. “I am very encouraged by it.”

*
Swistek said a “needs assessment” for a new city police station was first discussed in 2001, but nothing has materialized despite the department having “the same needs” it had 11 years ago.

In addition to having a prisoner cell block “well out of date,” the chief said the station was built for 40 employees, but the current staff includes 103 people.

“We need a place that is highly visible and accessible,” Swistek said.

That’s when he mentioned the Eastport idea, which he says could be feasible since the city already owns three-fourths of that property.

“Eastport would be an ideal location for residential traffic and traffic from the Blue Chip Casino,” he said, noting he has already been in contact with Michigan City Area Schools administrators on how the city could acquire the entire parcel.

“So much could be done for the department in the area behind that school,” he said.

School board member Jim Kintzele Sr., also in attendance at the workshop, said the school system “likes the idea.

“It would be a great asset to complement what is already going on in that area.”

But if the state decides the location should become a charter school, Kintzele said, the school would be required to sell the property for $1.

Swistek said the most recent assessment had the cost of the possible project to be anywhere between $12 and 15 million.

Meer said if this were to be put in the works, the city would seek multiple funding sources.

Fourth Ward Councilwoman Patricia Boy was another who liked Swistek’s idea.

“Hopefully, we can get going on this,” she said.

In other workshop news:

• Parks Department Superintendent Jan Orlich set the tentative date for the department’s administrative staff to move into City Hall at Feb. 9.

She said the Parks Department will take over responsibilities for maintenance and lawn service at City Hall, which would include “trimming trees and bushes” outside the complex.

• City Planner John Pugh said the city’s three-year contract with Blocksom & Co. is set to end this summer.

The agreement with the fiber manufacturer includes having it relocate operations within a 15-mile radius, and Michigan City would offer to pay the moving costs.

Redevelopment Commission President Ken Behrendt said the company could move to Wanatah in a relatively quick matter of time, but the city would stand to lose about 40 jobs if that were to occur.

“It may be time to address the matter again,” Pugh said.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...8a635949099.txt

Police station idea is intriguing

Published: Friday, February 3, 2012 5:07 PM CST
A proposal for the old Eastport School to be renovated into a new police station for the Michigan City Police Department is an intriguing idea that Michigan City Common Council members were correct to applaud.

Michigan City Police Chief Mark Swistek said he was looking for a location that is highly visible and accessible, and Eastport meets both criteria. And the city already owns three-fourths of the property, which is another plus to the idea.

The current police station was built to house 40 employees, but the current staff stands at 103 people. Swistek said the prisoner cell block at the current station is very much “out-of-date.”

We agree with Tim Bietry, an at-large councilman, that the proposed Eastport location would be another catalyst for economic development in the area along Michigan Boulevard, which has already taken on a new look with the beautification project under way there.

*
We hope the city continues to pursue this idea and finds a way to fund the estimated $12 million to $15 million cost that it would take to renovate and reuse the building.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...ce383787397.txt

Police deserve a new station

Published: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 5:06 PM CST
Sometimes you have to really wonder how this town works, moving the police station to an old school building and investing $10-$15 million dollars? There seems to be a trend in this town we “temporarily” condemn a building because it’s old and we have no space. Then let it sit empty for a few months and then we have the bright idea to bring it back to life for another department. It really seems like a bait and switch.

If my memory serves me correctly this school was closed due to lead concerns and asbestos. Some 15 yrs later, with $10-$15 million, it’s going to be a new police station. It’s an insult to the police department that they don’t get a brand new state of the art facility. And it’s the wrong location. The city should buy one of the old movie theaters and put their new home in the center of town.

Sell that existing police property – don’t make a training facility out of it or expand the zoo in that building. We have spent about $25 million on parks and recreation in this town over 18 years. We surely can support our law enforcement with a new facility for under 10 million dollars. It’s time to stop wasting taxpayers money – the fire department got their new buildings, it’s way overdue for police. Spend a million on another study, then do directly the opposite like we did for the fire department and it will all work out. Either way the police deserve a new building.

Roger Willoughby

*
Michigan City, IN

[taxthedeer]

Mayor Meer stated that if the city acquires the Eastport school building it will be demolished and a new police headquarters will be constructed in it's place. Sounds like a similar project undertaken when Shelia Brillson was the mayor of Michigan City and the Garfield school was acquired at 11th and Ohio St. and a new fire station was built on the property.

[Southsider2k12]

Mayor Meer stated that if the city acquires the Eastport school building it will be demolished and a new police headquarters will be constructed in it's place. Sounds like a similar project undertaken when Shelia Brillson was the mayor of Michigan City and the Garfield school was acquired at 11th and Ohio St. and a new fire station was built on the property.

That makes sense to me. The needs of a police station and a school are totally different.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...73981406728.txt

City's goal: Raze school, build police station

By Julie McClure
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 5:07 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — Mayor Ron Meer on Tuesday cleared up a lingering misconception about plans for a new police station, saying city officials want to build a new police station on the old Eastport School site, which would include demolishing the old school.

Meer said he began talks with police administrators, including Chief Mark Swistek and the assistant chiefs, just weeks into his new administration, and all viewed the Eastport site as a good possibility.

The city already owns about seven acres of the eight-acre site, including the area behind the school. Michigan City Area Schools owns the property the school sits on, the front of the building and the east parking lot.

“The plan would be to obtain the (Eastport) building so we could demolish it,” Meer said. “We are not in any way, shape or form considering retrofitting that building.”

*
Both Meer and Swistek said they would like to keep the building in the $9 to $12 million cost range. Swistek said Tuesday the $10 to $15 million figure he mentioned at a council workshop was from an earlier design proposed in 2005.

As for funding sources, Meer said riverboat money is a possibility, or a bond issue could be used to pay for the building. Meer also is thinking about expanding the city’s redevelopment district to include the Eastport School area, which would open the project up to some redevelopment funding.

“This could be a potential economic engine for this area,” Meer said.

The city is in preliminary discussions with MCAS about the building, and the school system is doing some background research. A meeting is planned in a few weeks about the project, Meer said.

As for what the new police station will or can be, Meer said the building will be based on what the police department needs to function at a high level of efficiency to make Michigan City neighborhoods safer.

“At this point, we go back to wants and needs,” Meer said. “They may want an indoor shooting range — is that necessary at this time? We have to weigh their wants and needs and evaluate them and have the engineers look at it, too.”

Swistek said some things the new building would need to have would be a better way of transferring those who have been arrested from patrol car into the police station.

“We do not have enough room to bring transport vehicles or the command center vehicle into the area where we load prisoners,” Swistek said. “We need better security there.”

The station’s holding facility needs to fit current standards for prisoners, Swistek said, and the current police station has outgrown its space for evidence storage.

Swistek would like to see more work space for officers, especially detectives and for the animal control officer, who are working in squad rooms in very tight quarters.

More room to store equipment also would be helpful in the new station, Swistek said. And, he would like to have a lobby that is more user friendly for the public. A small community room for the public would be helpful and could be used for major briefings.

And as for the neighborhood, Swistek said he envisions keeping the open space near the old school currently used by area children for play as open space for them.

“They can kick a soccer ball out there — there’s room for kids to sled in the winter. That would be the kind of thing I would like to continue,” Swistek said, adding there could be no safer place for kids to play than at the police station. Swistek even is open to leaving the playground equipment in place on the property so neighborhood kids could use it.

As far as the time frame for the project, Meer said after the city obtains the building and property, the city then would seek bids for demolition and start formulating building plans as early as next winter — late 2012 and early 2013. Construction could start during late summer 2013 if plans proceed, Meer said.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...bc359264383.txt

Eastport property transfer clears first hurdle

By Lois Tomaszewski
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 5:08 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY – The Eastport School property on Michigan Boulevard has cleared one hurdle towards new ownership and a new purpose. Six school board members present Tuesday approved a resolution that will give Michigan City's city administration ownership in exchange for four considerations.

School board attorney William Kaminski introduced the resolution that will give the city the Eastport School, which has been tapped to be the location of a new police station. The school will receive a parcel of land adjacent to the school administration offices on Carroll Street; a school resource officer at no cost for five years; the same contractual agreement current in place for the school resource officer; and a second school resource officer whose salary contribution from the school will be $44,000 a year for five years.

Board member Beryle Burgwald said the decision relieves the school district of the maintenance costs. "Everyone benefits by this," he said.

City officials have said they want to demolish the school and build a new police station on the Eastport site.

Click here to find out more!
The city will have to pass a similar resolution, which according to reports should not be an issue. Mayor Ron Meer told the News-Dispatch Monday that the city and school were "on the same page." Relocating the police station to the Eastport neighborhood, which Meer said has been plagued by crime, would increase property values in the area, he said.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...ea078262445.txt

PUT ON HOLD

Council tables police station deal, sends it to committee
By Tim Moran
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 5:07 PM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — A council resolution that would “support and approve” the exchange of the former Eastport school property to serve as the site for a new police station was tabled at Tuesday night’s Common Council meeting.

Sixth Ward Councilman Chris Schwanke, who introduced the resolution, made the motion to table it until a council committee reviews the matter.

“While I fully support the efforts of our police department, several items have been brought to my attention that warrant further investigation,” he said.

Adding that he does not want the council to “rush into the decision,” Schwanke said he would like to allow all council members to have “ample time to review the resolution, do their homework and make the best possible decision for Michigan City.”

*
Schwanke’s motion to table was approved unanimously. Council President Marc Espar referred the matter to the Public Health and Safety committee for further review.

The committee, chaired by Fifth Ward Councilman Duane Parry, is expected to conduct a meeting about the proposal “within the next couple of weeks,” Espar said.

Originally championed by Police Chief Mark Swistek at a council workshop earlier in the year, the transfer of portions of the Eastport property from the school system to the city was made official at a school board meeting last week.

In return for the land, the school receives a parcel of land adjacent to the school administration offices on Carroll Street; a school resource officer at no cost for five years; the same contractual agreement currently in place for the school resource officer; and a second school resource officer whose salary contribution from the school will be $44,000 a year for five years.

[Ang]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...28697135676.txt

Council committee approves proposed police station site

By Tim Moran
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — The Common Council is expected to approve a resolution that would secure the exchange of the former Eastport school property from Michigan City Area Schools to the city, paving the way for the city's next police station to be built there.

The council's Public, Health and Safety committee voted unanimously to recommend approval of the resolution during its Tuesday night meeting at City Hall.

While a few concerns were raised by committee members Duane Parry, Marc Espar and Ron Hamilton Jr., as well as other members of the council who attended, most agreed that the Eastport location is the best fit.

"I really do not see a downside to this," said At-Large Councilman Tim Bietry, while comparing the station relocation into a neighborhood like Eastport to other communities of similar size.

"We have seen that it has had a great impact in those communities," he said.

Most, including Mayor Ron Meer and Chief of Police Mark Swistek, agreed that the potential location would increase property values in the neighborhood.

"We envision kids playing on the playground and bringing the neighborhood back to the way it should be," Swistek said.

Hamilton mentioned a number of other possible areas where the new station could be built — including a 25-acre site behind the Michigan City Jewel adjacent to Ruby Woods and a number of open lots near Barker School.

But Meer said the Ruby Woods idea is "not an option," noting that the city paid more than $1 million for that property. "That is part of the greenspace that has been secured," the mayor said.

While Meer said if the exchange of property (from the school system to the city) were to take place, the plan would be to demolish the school building as soon as possible.

But Parry, who chaired the meeting, showed concern regarding the immediacy of that plan.

"The building is structurally sound — it just does not fit the floor plan of a police station," he said, offering the idea that the current Eastport building could eventually serve as the next City Hall if the South Shore realignment plan selects a northern route.

Swistek said the cost to demolish the Eastport school building could be anywhere from $200,000 to $250,000, of which the school system has shown willingness to contribute anywhere up to $10,000 for an asbestos abatement of the current building.

Originally introduced by Sixth Ward Councilman Chris Schwanke, the resolution securing the property could come to the council as early as its next meeting, scheduled for March 20 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...9d580459599.txt

Council tables Eastport decision over asbestos report

By Ilene Haluska
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 5:07 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Michigan City Common Council members on Tuesday tabled the resolution supporting the acquisition of the Eastport School property as the construction site for a new Michigan City police station until the city receives a copy of the school's asbestos building report.

"We feel that as a council that we need to feel comfortable with the resolution and the building as far as the contents and the position of the school to remove the material (asbestos)," said Duane Parry, chairman of Michigan City Public Health and Safety committee and Fifth Ward councilman. "We need to feel comfortable that our resolution addresses all the responsibilities involved," Parry said. "It has to be accurate."

"We are also waiting for our Council Attorney Jim Meyer to obtain from the school system a copy of the school's asbestos inspection," Parry said, adding that identifying the exact location of the asbestos could modify the resolution, which the committee hopes to have soon. "We need to be sure of what we're getting. The intent is to demolish the school building and build a new police station in its place," he said.

Parry said the committee met March 13 and recommended the site for construction of a new police station. However, the city needs to obtain reports about asbestos in the building. By state regulations, all asbestos material must be removed before demolition starts.

*
The presence of asbestos pipe insulation and asbestos-containing vinyl floor tile and roofing material in the building was discussed at the March 13 meeting, and also discussed was having the Michigan City Area School remove it before demolition at its cost and putting the language in the resolution. And all committee members approved the resolution as revised.

In February, the Michigan City Area Schools approved a resolution that will give the city the Eastport School property to be the site for a new police station. The school wants to get land adjacent to the school administration offices on Carroll Street; a school resource officer at no cost for five years; the same contractual agreement current in place for the school resource officer; and a second school resource officer whose salary contribution from the school will be $44,000 a year for five years.

[Ang]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...c0719262987.txt

Asbestos issue shouldn’t derail plans for new police station

Published: Thursday, March 22, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
The Michigan City Common Council has again tabled the decision on acquiring Eastport School, the proposed future site of a new city police station, and now awaits a report about the closed school’s asbestos contamination and what it will cost to abate those areas before demolition.

According to the council, all asbestos material must be removed from the building before demolition starts, and the city doesn’t want to incur the cost for doing that work. Before agreeing to the transfer of the property to the city, city officials want Michigan City Area Schools to take care of the asbestos abatement.

The council has already discussed that asbestos pipe insulation and asbestos-containing vinyl floor tile and roofing material that is present in the building.

While the asbestos issue is continuing to slow down the process of building a new police station on the site, we hope the council remains committed to seeing this issue through and will continue with its plans for the new police station at the site.

This is an important step for the city, that will provide a needed boost to the Eastport area neighborhood and will give the police officers much-needed space for more efficient and safe operations.

Please don’t let the asbestos issue derail the plans toward the goal of a new police station at the Eastport site.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...c0719262987.txt

Yeah, I can't see this slowing a new police station down too much. It doesn't sound like the costs would even be that high.

[Ang]

When I worked for Plant Planning they did a bunch of asbestos removal in the schools. Eastport was the Alternative High School at that time, and I seem to remember asbestos being removed from that building as well. I could be wrong, though--I am old and memory gets a little foggy sometimes, but I don't think the cost would be very high.

[Ang]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...4b506640728.txt

Council votes to acquire former Eastport school property

By Ilene Haluska and Tim Moran
Staff Writers
Published: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 5:07 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — The Common Council approved an amended resolution securing the exchange of the former Eastport School property from the Michigan City Area Schools to the city, with the intent to build a new police station at the location.

The council first voted unanimously to amend the resolution so the school system would be on the hook to pay for the costs of removing existing "friable asbestos" from the building.

"Friable asbestos," Mayor Ron Meer explained after the meeting, is asbestos in a particle matter where if you touch it or disturb it, the asbestos falls apart and gets airborne, as opposed to encapsulated asbestos - which would be present in a hard shell.

The resolution itself passed by a 7-2 vote, with Sixth Ward Councilman Chris Schwanke (the original resolution sponsor) and Third Ward Councilman Ron Hamilton Jr. voting against.

Schwanke dropped his sponsorship of the resolution during discussion, but sponsorship was picked up by First Ward Councilman Richard Murphy and Fourth Ward Councilwoman Patricia Boy, who served as a co-sponsor.

With approval, the actual property transfer is now contingent upon the schools approving the amended resolution.

Hamilton Jr. said that the costs to remove the asbestos could be "huge."

"It's not right to vote on something without all the information," he added, while also noting he does not believe the Eastport location is best for a police station.

"I have said that many times now," he said.

Schwanke said he expected a report on asbestos removal, the school's inspection documents and demolition estimates.

"It's foolish to move forward with this at this point," he said. "We don't want this to be another white elephant in Michigan City's cap like Franklin Square and building the library in the middle of Franklin."

Schwanke and Hamilton's comments were both in response to Murphy's, who said most agree that the Eastport location is the best for a new police station and that "sooner or later we need to take a leap of faith."

Meer said during the meeting that the school system would board up and winterize the building if the resolution did not pass. It could also be turned into a charter school if the transfer was not made, he added.

The mayor believes that the city taking control of the property could provide the police department with a new state-of-the art building and show developers that the city is serious in developing the Michigan Boulevard corridor.

"We do have the resources in Riverboat fund," Meer said of building a new police station.

The resolution transferring the property from the school to the city was not included on the meeting's agenda, but was added during the meeting after Council Attorney James Meyer pointed out that the matter had been tabled two meetings ago and had not yet come up.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...0f929360931.txt

New police station should be at Eastport

Published: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
As a prior representative of the Fifth Ward, and now representing the entire Michigan City district as county commissioner, I would like to applaud the commitment of representatives on the movement to develop a new state of the art police station at the former Eastport School site. As a business and homeowner living within the vicinity of the proposed project, the location comes with the possibility of increased property values of homes in the area and enhanced safety in the neighborhood.

The location is also highly visible and accessible to the community.

With the Michigan Boulevard beautification efforts, it will continue the city’s commitment to the North End development. The vision of expansion is obtainable with the large acreage in the rear of the proposed site.

Working towards projects and developments like this will impact the future of the economic development interest in Michigan City and La Porte County.


Willie Milsap

La Porte County commissioner

Michigan City, IN

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...42965796750.txt

Eastport idea is a good idea

Published: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
The location for the new police is the best idea I’ve heard from politicians in a very long time.

Comparing this idea with the decision to block Franklin Street with the library and Franklin Square is illogical and foolish. Most people know the reputation of the Boulevard is not good whether deserved or not. Now that the whole Boulevard has been vastly improved, it is a no brainer to tear down an old dilapidated building and construct a police station, which is the best thing that can be done to further improve this area.

Eastport school will have to be torn down sooner or later. When the mayor said that if this idea falls through they will winterize the building, that actually means it will be boarded up and left to fall down on its own. The city has two choices that have vastly different outcomes. Either build the police station or turn a blind eye and have a huge dilapidated building on a brand new boulevard. It’s time to take a leap of faith.

Steven Isenblatter

*
Michigan City, IN

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...91165288458.txt

Councilman points out Eastport discrepancy

By Tim Moran
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 5:07 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — A discrepancy in the city resolution to acquire the former Eastport school property to begin work on constructing a new police station at the site was pointed out by Third Ward Councilman Ron Hamilton Jr. during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

Hamilton, who was one of two representatives to vote against the city acquiring the property at a meeting last month, said that after doing more research, he found the parcel number for the property the Michigan City Area Schools would receive as part of the deal was incorrect.

“I don’t know how this effects the legality of this transaction, but I feel this issue should be addressed so the city can go forward in a timely matter,” he said. “I hope we do not continue to have issues like this ... Michigan City cannot afford business as usual.”

According to the resolution, which was passed by a 7-2 vote in April (Hamilton and Sixth Ward Councilman Chris Schwanke voted against), “the City of Michigan City or the Michigan City Park Department holds title to certain property adjoining the current administrative building of the Michigan City Area Schools, located on Carroll Avenue and bearing parcel identification number 460134129002000022.”

*
The resolution, if correct, would have transferred that property to the school system.

But according to the La Porte County beacon website, which shows the owner and value of each parcel in the county, the property with the parcel number indicated in the resolution is the number for the administrative building itself and the open land to the south; not the land “adjoining the current administrative building.”

The website also shows the owner of that parcel, if correct, is owned by the Fort Wayne National Bank Trustee and not the city of Michigan City or the Michigan City Park Department.

With the resolution amended from its original state when passed by the school board, a spokesperson from Michigan City Area Schools said the issue must be approved again by the school board before the change of property takes place.

[Southsider2k12]

It could now fall through.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...2a169738f6.html

[Commuter]

Hope it works out. Great facility. Neighborhood is coming up.

Plus, they are going to outgrow their current facilities, and, hopefully, they will raze the library, the news dispatch, city hall, and the police station and reconnect Washington Park to the rest of town. we can hope anyway.