Recent interest in Highland's downtown has buoyed the Redevelopment Commission's 2018 goal markers, according to its director.
Kathy DeGuilio-Fox explained the department’s list of goals at the Redevelopment Commission at its Monday night study session. She said offers have been made on the former Lincoln O's and the Northwest Indiana Sewing Center in the 2800 block of Highway and the strip mall in the 2700 block of Highway Avenue that houses the former Cobbler Shoppe, Thrifty Kleen and Les Brothers Café.
Although she cited "confidentiality" and declined to be specific about who has put in the offers or what they're planning on doing in those spots, she assured the commission that the offers were "serious."
An additional offer has been made on the former Anthony's Café in the 2900 block of Highway as well, which DeGuilio-Fox said would be "great in downtown." The site is the former location of the former Highland Custard Shop.
The bidder on the buildings in the 2700 block of Highway Avenue east of Second Street would not only work to improve the storefronts' facades, but would also make interior improvements to Les Brothers, she said.
Additionally, Deguilio-Fox said she's been in touch with the principals of Egil LLC, which owns the former standalone Highland Kiddie Shoppe, and they have agreed to pour a new foundation for the building. The building currently sits on railroad ties, she said.
What will not be going downtown, however, is a drive-through restaurant. DeGuilio-Fox said a resident contacted her about the southeast and southwest corners of Highway and Kennedy Avenues on which municipal parking lots sit, and the corner of Condit Street and Kennedy -- which is not yet vacant but will be by summer, she said – for permission to build a drive-through that would serve gyros and other fast foods.
DeGuilio-Fox said the person's project wouldn't work for that area for two reasons: One, the southeast and southwest corners of Highway and Kennedy are on a NIPSCO easement, and building on the property would be cost-prohibitive even if the utility allowed it, which isn't likely. But the request is moot anyway since town code prohibits drive-throughs downtown.
"There are no curb cuts on that property, plus in-and-out would be difficult in that area," she said. "And with the number of businesses I've been recruiting, they would have to rely on public parking."
Commissioner Dan Vassar said the person had presented the idea to him, too, and Vassar said he gave him essentially the same answer as DeGuilio-Fox.
"There's the gas station there, so that corner's already dangerous with entering and exiting," Vassar said. "But since our original vision for the town that included the Town Theatre was scuttled, our vision has now turned to acquiring land for redevelopment, not a gyros shop."
At is subsequent meeting, the commission voted unanimously to establish fees including sales tax for the town's early fall Festival of the Trail; and to provide reimbursement from the town's façade improvement grant to physician David Foreit and Haase Construction for their façade improvements at 2621 and 2640 Highway Ave., respectively. The commission will reimburse Haase $18,200 toward the $60,700 Haase spent, DeGuilio-Fox said.