Latest news with #RedevelopmentCommission
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- 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.
Chicago Tribune
15-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission terminates data center project option
The Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission listened to more than an hour of concerns and comments from residents Thursday concerning data centers, following the commission's unanimous vote to depart from plans to explore land use for a proposed data center. Director of Development George Douglas opened the meeting delivering a public statement to review the process and timeline of events that involved the possible date center development. 'On Tuesday Mayor Jon Costas announced the city would cease all efforts to explore a potential data center project and this decision was unanimously supported by the council,' Douglas said. 'This decision has been communicated with Agincourt and they've agreed to withdraw and release the option on the land. I would like to state this was never a done deal and the city had never approved the project, because a project had yet to be presented to the Redevelopment Commission or the city. 'Additionally, many of you have questions and concerns that have been expressed by the community and the citizens and were mutually shared by the city as well. This commission had not approved nor endorsed a data center, and all were in favor of starting a process through a request for public offering back in December of last year, with the full knowledge that a data center might be the potential use. The commission unanimously approved an option agreement at the January meeting. To be clear, this was not approval of the project but an affirmation to start a process to determine the feasibility of a potential project with conditions that had to be satisfied in public approvals.' In his statement address to the Redevelopment Commission and to the public, Douglas explained the non-disclosure agreement connected with the agreement option could be viewed 'as confusing' but is a common aspect of such large projects. Resident Chris Pupillo was one of the opening speakers among the residents who engaged in the public comment segment, which was moved to the start of the meeting's agenda. 'Whether it was a daycare center or a proposed data center, you the commission had an obligation to engage and inform the public before you started any process,' Pupillo said. 'That property was bought with taxpayer money and ARPA money from a result of the COVID pandemic, money that was intended for the health and well-being of the community. After the land wasn't going to be used as a sports complex, you should have engaged the community to get ideas for the best possible use of that land.' Duane Davison said the resulting dialogue and discontent among residents provides an opportunity for city leaders to 'regain lost trust.' 'It would be an understatement to say the community's trust has been undermined with the ill-advised proposed data center,' Davidson said. 'It's now a chance for this body to do some healing. I think the city should consider a donation of the land of question to the fine folks at the Shirley Heinze Land Trust.' Jeannine Hornback, owner of Little U Academy daycare center at 751 Eastporte Drive in Valparaiso, spoke at the March 10 Valparaiso City Council meeting and explained she wanted to address her further concerns by voicing her stance to the Valparaiso RDC. 'It's hard to swallow to know that there's a board of people in front of me that voted five to zero for a data center project,' Hornback said. 'Shame on you. You should have tabled it and let the community talk about it. You should listen to what the people want. It's scary to know you five people voted unanimously for this.'
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Valparaiso officials: City can keep ARPA funds used to buy land for now-defunct plans for sports complex
As part of the sweeping controversy over a now-defunct proposal for a data center on Valparaiso's north side, one question that remained after the brouhaha seems to have subsided is whether the city has to pay back the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act that were used for what was initially proposed as a sports and park complex. City officials say no, a point they emphasized during Monday's City Council meeting, which stretched almost five hours and drew hundreds of people to City Hall with concerns about the potential data center. Council President Ellen Kapitan, D-At-large, called the issue a 'red flag' during the council meeting, adding it led to a lot of questions, including whether the city would be on the hook for repaying the funds. 'Is this legal?' she asked Patrick Lyp, the city attorney. 'The simple answer is yes,' he said, adding an outside law firm from Indianapolis helped the city work through the details. If the Redevelopment Commission sells the property, he said, 'there would be no prohibition or covenant on the money.' The funds, he added, would return to the RDC. The tenets of ARPA funding offer exemptions for paybacks of funds under $10 million, as long as they are used for public purposes, Lyp said. There also is no prohibition on the sale or use of the property. 'There's no obligation that would be tied to ARPA funds,' said Councilman Robert Cotton, D-2nd. The city received $7,681,979.52, according to an amended resolution for ARPA spending passed by the City Council on July 25, 2022. That included $4,717,278.92 for land acquisition 'for future Park related activities,' according to the resolution, and includes the parcels for the proposed sports complex. The breakdown on the use of the rest of the funding, according to the resolution, included $1 million for the demolition of the former Whispering Pines facility and two adjacent residential structures on North Calumet Avenue, as well as site remediation, for a then-proposed adult enrichment center; $663,147.68 in premium pay for eligible city employees; $575,000 for several nonprofit agencies; $500,000 for the replacement of sidewalks, walking paths and other infrastructure; $40,000 for consultant fees and reserve funds for future audits, all related to disbursement of the ARPA funds; and $25,000 each to the police and fire departments, for various upgrades. The brunt of the spending, including the parkland purchase, fell under ARPA's 'Provision of Governmental Services using Revenue Loss Funds,' per the council's resolution, which is the most flexible of categories for ARPA spending. In emails to the Post-Tribune before the City Council meeting and Mayor Jon Costas' statement that the city would no longer pursue the data center proposal because of the public outcry, Lyp and George Douglas, the city's development director, offered further insight into the transfer of funds before the 248 acres, comprised of four parcels between County Roads 500 North and 400 North east of Indiana 49, was purchased for parkland. According to the option agreement signed in January between the RDC and the data center developer, Agincourt Investments LLC, the RDC would have sold 180 acres of that property for just over $9 million, almost twice what the RDC paid for the land. 'The Valparaiso Redevelopment purchased the properties in 2022 with available cash funds. The City Council did approve the use of ARPA funds to reimburse the RDC for the full purchase price in August of 2022,' Douglas said in his email. He added he didn't believe anything happens to the ARPA funds once they have been used to reimburse the RDC for the land purchase and if the RDC were to sell the property, the commission could use the proceeds for any of its permissible expenditures. 'The ARPA funds were used for an allowed purpose when the City reimbursed the RDC,' Lyp said in his email. 'If the land is sold, the proceeds would be paid to the RDC and used by the RDC consistent with Indiana law.' Jennifer Hora, a political science professor at Valparaiso University who focuses on state and local government, agreed that the ARPA funds come with flexibility but said that flexibility is supposed to come with accountability and responsibility. She summed up her concerns as 'the spirit of the law vs. the letter of the law.' City officials dropped the plans for the park when, according to then-Mayor Matt Murphy, bids for the project, slated for $30 million, came in $7 million over budget. Costas said in an interview with the Post-Tribune last month that the city was going to invest more in its current parks instead and scuttle the plans for the sports complex. City officials, Hora said, 'threw their hands up' and walked away from the sports complex proposal when it came in over budget and proposed using that land for the data center. The future of the land purchased with those funds is unknown. 'This is not transparency,' she said. 'This is definitely not the spirit of ARPA law.' alavalley@
Chicago Tribune
15-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso officials: City can keep ARPA funds used to buy land for now-defunct plans for sports complex
As part of the sweeping controversy over a now-defunct proposal for a data center on Valparaiso's north side, one question that remained after the brouhaha seems to have subsided is whether the city has to pay back the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act that were used for what was initially proposed as a sports and park complex. City officials say no, a point they emphasized during Monday's City Council meeting, which stretched almost five hours and drew hundreds of people to City Hall with concerns about the potential data center. Council President Ellen Kapitan, D-At-large, called the issue a 'red flag' during the council meeting, adding it led to a lot of questions, including whether the city would be on the hook for repaying the funds. 'Is this legal?' she asked Patrick Lyp, the city attorney. 'The simple answer is yes,' he said, adding an outside law firm from Indianapolis helped the city work through the details. If the Redevelopment Commission sells the property, he said, 'there would be no prohibition or covenant on the money.' The funds, he added, would return to the RDC. The tenets of ARPA funding offer exemptions for paybacks of funds under $10 million, as long as they are used for public purposes, Lyp said. There also is no prohibition on the sale or use of the property. 'There's no obligation that would be tied to ARPA funds,' said Councilman Robert Cotton, D-2nd. The city received $7,681,979.52, according to an amended resolution for ARPA spending passed by the City Council on July 25, 2022. That included $4,717,278.92 for land acquisition 'for future Park related activities,' according to the resolution, and includes the parcels for the proposed sports complex. The breakdown on the use of the rest of the funding, according to the resolution, included $1 million for the demolition of the former Whispering Pines facility and two adjacent residential structures on North Calumet Avenue, as well as site remediation, for a then-proposed adult enrichment center; $663,147.68 in premium pay for eligible city employees; $575,000 for several nonprofit agencies; $500,000 for the replacement of sidewalks, walking paths and other infrastructure; $40,000 for consultant fees and reserve funds for future audits, all related to disbursement of the ARPA funds; and $25,000 each to the police and fire departments, for various upgrades. The brunt of the spending, including the parkland purchase, fell under ARPA's 'Provision of Governmental Services using Revenue Loss Funds,' per the council's resolution, which is the most flexible of categories for ARPA spending. In emails to the Post-Tribune before the City Council meeting and Mayor Jon Costas' statement that the city would no longer pursue the data center proposal because of the public outcry, Lyp and George Douglas, the city's development director, offered further insight into the transfer of funds before the 248 acres, comprised of four parcels between County Roads 500 North and 400 North east of Indiana 49, was purchased for parkland. According to the option agreement signed in January between the RDC and the data center developer, Agincourt Investments LLC, the RDC would have sold 180 acres of that property for just over $9 million, almost twice what the RDC paid for the land. 'The Valparaiso Redevelopment purchased the properties in 2022 with available cash funds. The City Council did approve the use of ARPA funds to reimburse the RDC for the full purchase price in August of 2022,' Douglas said in his email. He added he didn't believe anything happens to the ARPA funds once they have been used to reimburse the RDC for the land purchase and if the RDC were to sell the property, the commission could use the proceeds for any of its permissible expenditures. 'The ARPA funds were used for an allowed purpose when the City reimbursed the RDC,' Lyp said in his email. 'If the land is sold, the proceeds would be paid to the RDC and used by the RDC consistent with Indiana law.' Jennifer Hora, a political science professor at Valparaiso University who focuses on state and local government, agreed that the ARPA funds come with flexibility but said that flexibility is supposed to come with accountability and responsibility. She summed up her concerns as 'the spirit of the law vs. the letter of the law.' City officials dropped the plans for the park when, according to then-Mayor Matt Murphy, bids for the project, slated for $30 million, came in $7 million over budget. Costas said in an interview with the Post-Tribune last month that the city was going to invest more in its current parks instead and scuttle the plans for the sports complex. City officials, Hora said, 'threw their hands up' and walked away from the sports complex proposal when it came in over budget and proposed using that land for the data center. The future of the land purchased with those funds is unknown. 'This is not transparency,' she said. 'This is definitely not the spirit of ARPA law.'
Chicago Tribune
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Portage no longer exploring ‘DORA' idea for outdoor drinking area downtown
The Portage City Council rejected a proposal to create a designated outdoor drinking area downtown. The proposal was tabled last fall. Mayor Austin Bonta pushed for the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area proposal, but it was voted down Tuesday by four of the six council members. Voting against it were Robert 'Bob' Parnell, R-2nd; Ferdinand Alvarez, D-At-large; Melissa Weidenbach, R-At-large; and Victoria Vasquez, R-3rd. Penny Ambler, R-4th, was absent. The ordinance would have allowed bar patrons to leave an establishment with drink in hand to go elsewhere downtown, even to another bar. Bar owners would have had to buy special plastic cups for that purpose. 'Simply put, people are already walking between those bars on a Saturday night. The difference is do they have a cup in their hand or do they not have a cup in their hand,' Bonta said. Council members had plenty of questions about the concept. Vasquez, the council's president, proposed amending the ordinance to not allow alcohol sales at Founders Square events on Sundays and not before 4 p.m. other days. That amendment failed. Arguing in support of the restriction, Vasquez said, 'That way, young mothers with toddlers and families can go to there without feeling intimidated.' Parnell, a pastor and nondrinker, said he was concerned about the legal risk of public intoxication around Founders Square where family and children gather, especially at the park and concert area. Police Chief Michael Candiano offered his take on the proposal. 'My understanding is this is more about alcohol sales than consumption,' he said. 'If you're not aware, the laws in Indiana have changed. Public intoxication is not just being drunk in public; you've got to be creating a problem, you've got to be endangering yourself or somebody else. Just the act of drinking in public is not a crime.' The open container law pertains to having a container in a vehicle, not just sitting on a lawn in public, Candiano added. 'This isn't necessarily encouraging more consumption of alcohol,' Councilman Collin Czilli said. Rather, it allows people to go from one area to another with a drink in their hand. A beer garden would restrict where alcohol could be sold without restricting consumption. 'This just adds another opportunity to not have to drink fast or throw something away,' Bonta said. In Indiana, it's perfectly legal to go outside with a cooler of beer or other alcoholic beverage and consume it in public, he said. Downtown, where the proposed DORA would have been located, the Redevelopment Commission owns the baseball diamonds and other property. The RDC, as a property owner, could prohibit alcohol consumption on its property. That's an unwritten rule already, Bonta said. Likewise, the Park Board could prohibit alcohol consumption in parks, with notable exceptions for special permitted events. Bonta said there are many other places in Indiana, including some in Northwest Indiana, that have created DORA districts. The ordinance was first proposed in November and tabled in December. Bonta brought it back up Tuesday to see if the district could be created before special events at Founders Square start up when the weather improves.
