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LaPorte County commissioners have visions of an Interstate 94 and U.S. 421 intersection as busy as Merrillville's I-65 and U.S. 30 now that plans to make Michigan City even more of a shopping destination have been firmed up.
"Very similar to (Westfield) Southlake mall -- a tremendous amount of retail space" is how LaPorte County Commissioners president Marlow Harmon described what's in store for the southwest corner of I-94 and U.S. 421.
"That's going to be a fantastic project," Harmon said.
LaPorte County Commissioners on Tuesday night approved $154,800 to have plans drawn up for extending water and sewer to a 350,000-square-foot site at the intersection.
The decision came in response to a commitment by G.K. Development, a Chicago-area real estate firm, to sink a projected $20 million into that site.
Blueprints call for 250,000- square-feet of retail space with light industrial making up the balance, said Matt Reardon, coordinator of the LaPorte County Redevelopment Commission.
Exact plans for the site were not disclosed with Reardon saying "what it looks like and how it's configured, all of that, will be worked out as we continue down the road."
Specifically, the 700-acre parcel along County Road 300N is adjacent to the now closed Waste Management landfill, a landmark, of sorts, for I-94 travelers.
Being next to a mountain of garbage, though, was not a difficult sell.
In fact, plans call for some of the development to be on parts of the old dump site, officials said.
Reardon said the goal is to extend water and sewer lines from Michigan City to the site next year and start building construction in 2008.
G.K. Development will pay for half of the projected $3 million cost of providing municipal services with LaPorte County chipping in the rest.
"We liked the good public-private partnership they proposed," Reardon said.
Eventually, the goal is to bring major growth to four corners of the interchange, which currently has no development.
Talks are presently ongoing with retailers from Michigan and Indianapolis looking at building on the north side of I-94.
"In a couple of years you're going to see a tremendous amount of growth out there," Harmon said.
"Very similar to (Westfield) Southlake mall -- a tremendous amount of retail space" is how LaPorte County Commissioners president Marlow Harmon described what's in store for the southwest corner of I-94 and U.S. 421.
"That's going to be a fantastic project," Harmon said.
LaPorte County Commissioners on Tuesday night approved $154,800 to have plans drawn up for extending water and sewer to a 350,000-square-foot site at the intersection.
The decision came in response to a commitment by G.K. Development, a Chicago-area real estate firm, to sink a projected $20 million into that site.
Blueprints call for 250,000- square-feet of retail space with light industrial making up the balance, said Matt Reardon, coordinator of the LaPorte County Redevelopment Commission.
Exact plans for the site were not disclosed with Reardon saying "what it looks like and how it's configured, all of that, will be worked out as we continue down the road."
Specifically, the 700-acre parcel along County Road 300N is adjacent to the now closed Waste Management landfill, a landmark, of sorts, for I-94 travelers.
Being next to a mountain of garbage, though, was not a difficult sell.
In fact, plans call for some of the development to be on parts of the old dump site, officials said.
Reardon said the goal is to extend water and sewer lines from Michigan City to the site next year and start building construction in 2008.
G.K. Development will pay for half of the projected $3 million cost of providing municipal services with LaPorte County chipping in the rest.
"We liked the good public-private partnership they proposed," Reardon said.
Eventually, the goal is to bring major growth to four corners of the interchange, which currently has no development.
Talks are presently ongoing with retailers from Michigan and Indianapolis looking at building on the north side of I-94.
"In a couple of years you're going to see a tremendous amount of growth out there," Harmon said.