Donovan Estridge, LaPorte Herald-Argus
destridge@heraldargus.com
LA PORTE COUNTY -- Even as area residents worry about how a massive intermodal facility might change their small town, some local leaders are trumpeting the potential economic impact such a facility could have on La Porte County.
With the promise of more than 2,000 jobs and countless offshoot businesses, officials such as La Porte Mayor Leigh Morris are optimistic the economic tide in the county could change for the better with an intermodal.
"Economically, it would be a very positive impact on the community," Morris told The La Porte County Herald-Argus Wednesday. "I think we learned from the people of Elwood (Illinois) it has clearly been a positive there."
When an intermodal site was developed in Elwood, a small town south of Chicago, in 2000, city leaders there witnessed a drastic decline in unemployment rates and a steady increase in population. Massive infrastructure improvements were made to accommodate the facility.
An intermodal in La Porte County, Morris said, could help the county to compete economically with neighboring counties such as St. Joseph, Porter, and even Lake.
"We do need the jobs," he said. "One of the reasons why property taxes are so high here is that we haven't had the economic growth other counties have had."
"One of the reasons why property taxes are so high here is that we haven't had the economic growth other counties have had."
La Porte County Commissioner Mike Bohacek has been an outspoken proponent of an intermodal facility since the word "go." Despite many citizens' opposition to such a facility, the freshman commissioner stands firm on his position.
"The positives are almost limitless," he told The Herald-Argus Wednesday. "We will have significant economic growth."
The fact that intermodal developers in Elwood injected $25 million into the community is astonishing, La Porte County Council President Jerry Cooley told The Herald-Argus.
"You look at the numbers and you talk to officials over there and you hear $25 million ..." he said. "Our county budget is $35 million. It really perks your ears up. When you see something this big it brings chills just to think about it."
But the $25 million question for some other officials is still "At what cost?"
Proponents insist they intend to proceed cautiously.
"Believe me, I feel for them down there," Bohacek said of Union Mills residents. "Whenever you talk about economic development, you always run the risk of running into negatives. But we have safeguards in place."
Morris described residents concerns as "legitimate," and said officials would certainly be sensitive to them.
You can't just look at it from an economic perspective," he said.
Still, Union Mills residents such as Hugh Glasgow feel the economic impact of an intermodal facility is no trade-off for what might be lost in terms of quality of life for all county residents.
"You know, we like being a bedroom community," he told The Herald-Argus at Tuesday's intermodal meeting in Union Mills. "I'm sorry, we like it. If you want to make big money, you can go to Porter County. If this comes here, we will go to Starke County and work there."
Morris, however, believes that point of view is shortsighted.
"Whenever you get to the point when you say you don't want new jobs, you are automatically putting the area in a potential decline," he said.