Federal, local officials hold ribbon cutting for Hammond stormwater project

Chicago Tribune

02-07-2025

Federal and local officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to mark the completion of a stormwater improvement project in Hammond's Dowling Park, which replaced undersized drainage infrastructure that led to flooding in 2020.
As part of the project, crews constructed a new 60-inch diameter stormwater pipe approximately 1,600 feet in length along the 176th Place corridor, according to an Army Corps of Engineers news release.
The project was authorized by Section 219 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992, which allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide planning, design and construction assistance for water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects, according to the release.
To fund the project, $2.5 million in federal funds were allocated to the project and $825,000 was added by the City of Hammond. The construction contract for nearly $3 million was awarded to Grimmer Construction Inc. of Highland, according to the release.
A large rainstorm on May 23, 2020 dumped about four inches of rain in 60 minutes in the Dowling Park neighborhood, said Dean Button, City of Hammond Engineer. The ribbon cutting took place in the flood area, he said.
During that flooding, the nearby homes had flooded basements, water stood in the street and water flooded the south side of I-80/I-94 expressway, Button said.
'Where we're standing right now, we would be standing in water. The water completely filled up this entire low-lying area,' Button said. 'Cars were floating down the street. People were taking chances trying to get to their homes and trying to save their valuables, and it was really gut-wrenching to see all that happen here.'
To address the flooding, Button said city and federal officials were able to construct an overflow to the pond in the park, which is fed by upstream pump stations, to keep water out of the neighborhood. The overflow of the pond moved through the new stormwater pipe to the pump station on the south side of the expressway into the Little Calumet River, he said.
The next phase of the project, Button said, will be to expand the pump station to handle more flow out of water from Hammond.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander of the Chicago District Colonel Kenneth Rockwell said the project was more than just concrete and pipe.
'It's about protecting families who have lived too long with the worry of flooding and property damage every time a storm rolls through. It's about ensuring the parks and the neighborhoods that make this city such a great place to live remain safe, accessible and resilient,' Rockwell said.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, was scheduled to be at the event but was called back to Washington D.C., said Mrvan's senior advisor Mark Lopez, who read a prepared statement from Mrvan.
The project was an investment in 'our community's infrastructure, safety and sustainability,' Lopez said.
'Stormwater may not always be top of mind, but the systems that manage it are essential to protecting our homes, our environment and our quality of life,' Lopez said. 'This project is a testament to what can be accomplished when vision, planning and partnership come together.'