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[Hypnotic]

I think that we should have a thread where we can keep track of and discuss projects that are under construction, planned or proposed for the city. We can also exchange ideas about what types of developments Michigan City needs to attract to be competitive in the region. I am sort of a development nerd and the idea comes from 'Skyscraperpage' where the site is devoted to major construction projects from around the world.

Current projects and proposals:

Michigan City Police Station
Lifeworks Business Park
Construction on South Franklin
Realignment of Washington and Pine
New activities center/pavilion at Washington Park
U.S. 421 Overpass
U.S. 12 bridge
Franklin Street Bridge
LMGIS
Art Space
Proposed "up-scale" hotel for North End
Former Memorial Hospital Site
Trail Creek Corridor
Beautification of Nipsco Cooling Tower
Nipsco "Scrubber"
NICTD Track Realignment

We have a lot of development in the works. I've always felt that Michigan City is a sleeping giant that has the potential to dominate the region. We have had multiple developers envision high-rises and mid-rises in the city at various locations. I can remember back in 2006-2007 a developer from Chicago wanted to demolish Galveston Steakhouse and erect a 13 story "S" shaped condo on the site before the economy collapsed. Another developer proposed two 20 story condo/hotel buildings for the former Memorial Hospital site and Lohan-Anderson recommended 3-24 story condos for Trail Creek next to Blue Chip. The possibilities are endless but the city must rid itself of the terrible NIMBY'ism which harms our growth.

I hope to hear of other projects in the city that people have knowledge of that I am unaware of and welcome even rumors. For instance, I have a friend with ties to sources in the city and he has stated that they are working towards Marquette Mall being demolished with the city claiming emanate domain. Whether it is substantial I don't know but it is certainly conceivable and necessary. He also claimed that the mall doubled the rent of Applebee's and that is why they exited the city. I hope Michigan City does not work to just become Valparaiso redux which I fear is the idea. Michigan City has a unique opportunity to become more South Bend like with major developments. We have almost double the Sq. Mileage of Valpo and La Porte. The problem is Michigan City is largely underdeveloped. We have large swaths of land primed for mixed use projects. Cleveland Ave. for one has the potential to be even more prominent with a greater density than Franklin Street yet it has attracted no interest from what I can glean. The sign for "Cleveland Crossing" has been up for 8-10 years. I would also like to see Michigan City attract more authentic ethnic restaurants and other businesses to give more of a big city feel by offering something for everyone and widening the demographics rather than just being a high-end mono-cultural boutique city like Valpo. A market research company suggested Michigan City also attract a college campus somewhere downtown to give a "university feel" to the North End. Either PNC, Ivy Tech or I.U. That would be an excellent idea to bolster growth.

[Hypnotic]

Woodruff and Son (surprise , Surprise) has broken ground on the Elston's Legacy apartment development on 6th & Pine. Heavy equipment is on the site and areas have been staked and the soil has been leveled. I'm sure this phase will last until late spring before we see any progress upward.

It's a shame these buildings were downsized from 44 high-end units to a laughable 18. The floor count was lowered from 4 floors to 3 as well. I've said multiple times this was a golden opportunity swung at and missed by the underachieving Redevelopment Commission and City Council. Of course no renderings have been released publicly but an architectural vision it will not be. The buildings will be built in phases with the following building not being built until the preceding reaches full capacity. This is dubious as I'm sure in this economy they could secure financing with lease agreements in the 30 to 40% range. It seems the developer is assuming 0 risk.

Paul Dresden pulled a major bait-N-switch from the initial announcement. This area is one of if not the best downtown location for luxury living. I would have liked to have seen 2 mixed use buildings in the 12 to 15 story range accompanied by 3, 4 and 5 level condos with ground floor retail. This site could have been an exclusive urban village drawing residents from all over the region.

I hope the city at some point builds a dense Brownstone/Greystone development within the downtown. I would be a buyer for sure. I read the article above about Michigan City struggling to attract young people. This is obvious, there are no living wage jobs, modern housing stock, night-life, universities, trade-schools, walk-ability or a dense urban core among many other factors.

The city claims to be serious about becoming a world class destination, every official says the planning is over its a time for action etc, and then they announce they are annexing 500 acres for homes and warehouses?!? Really? How about an auto plant, or a mill? Or some other union shop that hires trade workers? Toyota was just scouting Indiana locations, Amazon and others....I never heard one word about La Porte County or specifically Michigan City throwing any package together to become a possible destination.

I am a Union Millwright and I work all over the country. La Porte County and Michigan City is far, far behind similar locations in the Midwest. I worked in Michigan at the Lake Orion GM plant and that area is light years ahead of Northwest Indiana when it comes to manufacturing jobs, housing, roadways, colleges, shopping districts, professional services etc. Rochester Hills alone has multiple international companies.

Michigan city needs to get serious and start upping the ante. We need public officials with real experience in urban planning and economic development. We have some crack team with local experience only. Craig Philips, Ron Meer, Rich Murphy, Chuck Oberlie, Don Babcock, Silvestri? We need to scout talent from around the region and country who have been part of landmark developments and who have worked with major architectural and master development firms. What's taking place in Michigan City is so Mickey Mouse that when we are done, it could probably be said that this city and these officials wasted the greatest opportunity in it's history. I'd dust off the Lohan Andersen Trail Creek Plan and start there. Forget a $5 million, 5 year, 20,000 sq. ft. downtown plaza. We have more pressing issues.

Michigan City is the most underdeveloped city I have come across. I would love to hear a number put on it. I would wager that we have at least 5 square miles of undeveloped land within and on the outskirts of our city. We could be a mix of Traverse City/Shaumburg/Naperville and instead we are more or less La Porte with more shops and less living wage jobs.



Above is what Washington Park could be with the right planning and goals in place. The city does not even think on this level. We are 1 hour from an Alpha Global city and we are lucky to get a $2 million dollar pavilion. We are the result of stagnation and the same sacred cows controlling every move in this city for decades. In the 90's we get the 10 story condo tower on the beach and nothing since? nothing? How was that not followed up with more condo and hotel towers, apartments, restaurants, shops, parks, concert venues, a boardwalk, etc.? Now after decades, Hitchcock Design Group does a 20 year Washington Park Master Plan that is completely lackluster and calls for renovating current buildings and facilities and nothing about new private/public development within the park or along the beach like the picture above.

The Lohan Andersen Plan called for Aerial Trams, 3 High Rise towers, dense condo development and that's along a creek. This is Lake Michigan! lmao This is all a very sad joke The city owes the loyal residents who love this city and have stuck by it through the years and have dealt with poverty, high crime, menial work and no educational outlets. We should be on the cusp of a renaissance in this city with the right leadership and years from now we will still see the empty lots and and surface parking lots throughout our downtown. We will still have buildings that should have long been demolished somehow still proudly standing providing the same blight I saw as a child. We will still lose our best and brightest to out of state locations to seek higher education and high pay. We will also see the same tired beachfront with only minimal additions. Our roads will be two-way and our bridges will have giant flags though so that's a bonus, I guess.