Infrastructure, incentives top NWI Forum's legislative agenda

Joseph S. Pete, (Munster) Times of Northwest Indiana

Thursday, February 2, 2017 1:21 PM

The Northwest Indiana Forum, a business membership group, has outlined its priorities for the 2017 session of the Indiana General Assembly.

“Exciting projects are taking shape that will dramatically improve the economic development landscape in Northwest Indiana,” Northwest Indiana Forum President and Chief Executive Officer Heather Ennis said.

The Forum's top priorities are continued investment in the South Shore commuter rail to Chicago, protecting economic development incentive programs, workforce development, and infrastructure improvements at Northwest Indiana universities. The last priority includes supporting the building of a $40.5 million Purdue University Northwest Bioscience Innovation Building.

The Portage-based organization also seeks permanent funding for the state's Regional Cities Initiative and backs continued study of turning U.S. 30 into a limited-access freeway from Ind. 49 in Porter County to the Ohio/Indiana state line.

South Shore 5-year plan calls for $1.1 billion in projects
Counties all on board for rail project to make South Bend-Chicago trip shorter

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