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Federal, local officials hold ribbon cutting for Hammond stormwater project
Federal, local officials hold ribbon cutting for Hammond stormwater project

Chicago Tribune

time02-07-2025

  • Climate
  • Chicago Tribune

Federal, local officials hold ribbon cutting for Hammond stormwater project

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.'

Chesterton taking steps toward financing town hall/fire station project
Chesterton taking steps toward financing town hall/fire station project

Chicago Tribune

time11-02-2025

  • Business
  • Chicago Tribune

Chesterton taking steps toward financing town hall/fire station project

Chesterton is poised to finance the remodeling of the town hall and fire station with $2.5 million in general obligation bonds. The Chesterton Town Council Monday took the first step toward obtaining the bonds. The council will have a final vote on the bonds after holding a public hearing at its next meeting on Feb. 24. Chesterton is planning to use annual revenues collected from the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to pay off the debt. The district was recently expanded to include the town hall and fire station property at 8th Street and Broadway. The town hall and fire station project is expected to cost about $2.8 million. The fire station construction will include a two-story, 2,000-square-foot addition along with remodeling the office space and sleeping quarters for firefighters. The town hall project will include a number of technological updates and remodeling. In other business, the council awarded contracts for new parking lots and road projects. Grimmer Construction Inc. of Highland was awarded a $1,269,149 contract for building two downtown parking lots in the 100 block of Grant Avenue and the 100 block of Indiana Avenue. Downtown parking lots will help to accommodate visitors for the European Market, held downtown every Saturday from May through October. Downtown businesses had also identified parking availability as a need. The council also awarded contracts to Rieith-Riley for $589,583 for Community Crossing road projects and to Milestone Contractors for $810,701.50 for annual paving projects. Brian Lewandowski of Benlew Enterprises told the council that their company recently purchased the vacant building at 538 Broadway with the idea of redeveloping it into office space for small businesses. Lewandowski said he wanted to gauge reaction to his proposal, given that the town is doing a new comprehensive plan. He said that it's likely he will have to seek variances from the Board of Zoning Appeals. 'What you're proposing is better than what we got,' said Councilman James Ton, R-1st. Councilwoman Erin Collins, D-2nd, urged the public to contact the state senators and representatives about the potential dire financial consequences if the legislature approves Senate Bill 1, which is a property tax reform bill. While Collins said she supports meaningful tax reform, 'As the bill is written today the financial impact would be catastrophic for our town's budget.' Collins said that under the proposal, the town would lose $1.1 million in revenue in 2026, up to $1.38 million in 2027 and up to $1.677 million in 2028. Originally Published: February 11, 2025 at 11:11 AM CST

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