Latest news with #BurnsHarbor
Chicago Tribune
19-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Burns Harbor receives a lone bid for land it owns and hopes to be developed
Burns Harbor hopes to sell land it owns off Ind. 149 so it can be developed, two years after a developer withdrew from a $32 million project in partnership with the town. The Redevelopment Commission on Wednesday opened a bid from one company to buy 25 acres the town owns at Haglund Road and Ind. 149. The property is located across the road from the current Town Hall. Sloane Avenue Group and Redstone Group of Grand Rapids, Michigan, proposed to pay $25,000 for the land and to assume all costs of infrastructure, engineering, soil analysis and potential wetland mitigation. It was the only company that responded to the town's Request for Offer (RFO). Commission members didn't discuss the proposal because they wanted time to review and evaluate it. The proposal will also be reviewed by the town's consultant, Tina Rongers, and Town Attorney Clay Patton. A decision may be announced at the Redevelopment Commission's July 11 meeting. Councilwoman Roseann Bozak, who is the commission president, wouldn't release a copy of the proposal, citing that it hasn't been reviewed yet by the legal counsel. Bozak said they are looking for a mix of residential and commercial on the land, like the town intended to develop with its prior partner, Holladay Properties. 'We intend on sticking with that,' Bozak said. She wouldn't share what the Sloane Avenue Group and Redstone Group are proposing, beyond taking care of infrastructure, engineering, soil analysis and potential wetland mitigation. A BP pipeline does go through the property. The relationship between Burns Harbor and any party that buys the property will be different than the last time. 'The project will be developer-driven as opposed to a public-private partnership,' Rongers said. Burns Harbor and Holladay Properties had originally reached their agreement in 2019, but plans were then delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Holladay Properties announced in June 2023 that they couldn't go forward because of economic conditions. As a result, the town had to decline a $960,000 state grant from the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI), which would have been used to install underground utilities. The town also spent money on a property master plan, Rongers said. The plan's goal was to create a new town center, which would have been anchored by a 22,800-square-foot town hall and community center. Another key amenity was that a section of the Marquette Greenway trail would be built on the property. The development also would have had 40 single-family townhouses, five multi-family luxury apartment buildings with 138 units, along with 5,800 square feet of commercial space in the ground floors of three of the apartment units. During the past two years, a 0.8-mile section of the trail has been built on the property. The Marquette Greenway, when finished by multiple communities, will eventually stretch 60 miles from Chicago to New Buffalo, Michigan. Rongers said that the property is currently zoned residential. Burns Harbor will still retain a 4-acre parcel off of Ind. 149 neighboring the 25 acres to be sold. The vacant lot, which once was the location of a community center, could be the future location for a new town hall. The town in 2018 purchased 28 acres at Haglund Road and Ind. 149 for $250,000 from the Duneland School Corporation.
Chicago Tribune
02-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Burns Harbor trail efforts earn Marquette Greenway award
The nonprofit Greenways Foundation recently gave Burns Harbor its Outstanding Local Government award for its work on the Marquette Greenway. The Greenways Foundation champions Indiana's trail networks and highlights leadership and trail projects across the state. Mitch Barloga, trail czar at the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission and the foundation's board president, called Burns Harbor 'plucky' for its 'huge commitment to this quality of life issue.' 'Burns Harbor is a great example of how these trails can improve community stature in the region,' he said. Through the Town Council and the Redevelopment Commission, guided by consultant Tina Rongers, the town has been aggressive in building sections of the trail. 'It might be one of the nicest parts of the trail through there,' Barloga said. A section of the trail opened last year winds through an open area where the town hopes to attract a developer to bring residential and commercial development to the small town. 'It's really exciting to have the trail as a centerpiece for this,' Redevelopment Commission President Roseann Bozak said. 'Not many other towns and cities along the Marquette Greenway had the benefit of getting the trail first and being able to bring that into the development.' That's a good example of trail-oriented development, Barloga said. 'They really leaned into that heavily with this development.' 'We are still working on the final piece in Burns Harbor that will connect to the town of Porter,' Bozak said. 'We're really excited about that collaboration. It's not often that we get to collaborate with neighboring towns. Hopefully, this opens the doors to more collaboration in the future.' 'I believe the construction on this should begin in the fall, providing there are no hiccups along the way,' Bozak said. 'It's been a community ahead of the curve when it comes to quality-of-life issues,' Barloga said. Bozak said the award is appreciated. 'The town has had so many ups and downs in the past few years. It's really nice to see the hard work get recognized and rewarded.' Town Council President Jennifer McHargue said in a news release that the trail has been popular, improving the health of walkers and bikers. 'We are proud to offer regional trail amenities that people can enjoy just in town or venture into neighboring communities along southern Lake Michigan,' she said. When completed, the 60-mile trail will stretch from Chicago's South Side to New Buffalo. For Burns Harbor, funding the trail sections has been challenging. In 2014, the town began using tax increment financing to fund new planning and infrastructure projects. The town's master plan identified the Marquette Greenway as a key project. In 2017, the RDC received a $7 million state transportation grant to build the trail. However, the town couldn't gain right-of-way access from Norfolk Southern, so the town changed gears and used money from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Indiana Department of Transportation. Between 2019 and 2021, Burns Harbor built the 1.5-mile segment from the western edge of town to Ind. 149, by Town Hall. The phase opened last year stretches from Ind. 149 to Indiana Dunes National Park. 'Collaboration and celebration are keys to our success,' Bozak said. 'In Burns Harbor, we persevere in the face of challenges because we love our community, which is our home. We are raising our families here and building amenities like trails in hopes the next generation of residents will stay and raise their families, too,' she said.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Police: Man arrested after officer sees dog in back of open pickup truck despite the cold
Porter Police arrested a Griffith man early Tuesday morning after an officer on patrol spotted a large dog riding in the exposed bed of a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck on the highway in single-digit weather, according to a release. The officer, Sgt. Thomas Blythe, spotted the pickup at around 1:45 a.m. Feb. 20 in the area of U.S. 20 and Interstate 94. Police said the dog, a German shepherd mix, 'was unprotected in any way from the severe single-digit temperatures.' Blythe initiated a traffic stop to check on the wellbeing of the dog, named Chica, and spoke with the driver, who identified himself as Chica's owner. The driver, whose name is not being released by police until he is formally charged, told police he was traveling back to Griffith from Chesterton 'but was quick to state he intended to stay off the expressway due to Chica being in the back.' Blythe noted that Chica 'had ice formed in her whiskers and she didn't hesitate to jump inside a warm Porter Police vehicle,' according to the release. He also observed there was 'more than adequate room' inside the cab of the pickup for Chica to have been there instead of in the exposed bed. Blythe reported the temperature was at 9 degrees at the time of the stop, and a calculation indicated the real feel was -19 degrees at 55 mph for Chica. Porter County Animal Control was contacted and responded to the scene to take custody of Chica. Burns Harbor and Chesterton Police also assisted at the scene. 'Porter Police would like to remind pet owners that extreme cold is just as dangerous as extreme heat to canines and other domestic animals. We encourage all pet owners to treat these weather conditions seriously, make good decisions, and prevent tragedies,' police said in the release. This was the second time this month police arrested a pet owner whose dog was exposed to the elements on the highway. On Feb. 11, Indiana State Police at the Lowell Post were notified of a Facebook post of an SUV pulling a trailer with a dog in a kennel on it.
Chicago Tribune
20-02-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Police: Man arrested after officer sees dog in back of open pickup truck despite the cold
Porter Police arrested a Griffith man early Tuesday morning after an officer on patrol spotted a large dog riding in the exposed bed of a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck on the highway in single-digit weather, according to a release. The officer, Sgt. Thomas Blythe, spotted the pickup at around 1:45 a.m. Feb. 20 in the area of U.S. 20 and Interstate 94. Police said the dog, a German shepherd mix, 'was unprotected in any way from the severe single-digit temperatures.' Blythe initiated a traffic stop to check on the wellbeing of the dog, named Chica, and spoke with the driver, who identified himself as Chica's owner. The driver, whose name is not being released by police until he is formally charged, told police he was traveling back to Griffith from Chesterton 'but was quick to state he intended to stay off the expressway due to Chica being in the back.' Blythe noted that Chica 'had ice formed in her whiskers and she didn't hesitate to jump inside a warm Porter Police vehicle,' according to the release. He also observed there was 'more than adequate room' inside the cab of the pickup for Chica to have been there instead of in the exposed bed. Blythe reported the temperature was at 9 degrees at the time of the stop, and a calculation indicated the real feel was -19 degrees at 55 mph for Chica. Porter County Animal Control was contacted and responded to the scene to take custody of Chica. Burns Harbor and Chesterton Police also assisted at the scene. 'Porter Police would like to remind pet owners that extreme cold is just as dangerous as extreme heat to canines and other domestic animals. We encourage all pet owners to treat these weather conditions seriously, make good decisions, and prevent tragedies,' police said in the release. This was the second time this month police arrested a pet owner whose dog was exposed to the elements on the highway. On Feb. 11, Indiana State Police at the Lowell Post were notified of a Facebook post of an SUV pulling a trailer with a dog in a kennel on it.
