New housing projects are going up across Michigan City, both downtown and in the neighborhoods, amid a projected demand for thousands of more homes.
Zimmerman/Volk Associates did a study that found a demand for 3,000 homes in Michigan City over the next five years. Co-Managing Director Laurie Volk told a business crowd at an Economic Development Corp. Michigan City brunch at Uptown Social in downtown Michigan City last week that there is a need for more houses, apartments, condos and townhomes.
More homes are needed across the city and especially downtown and in the northeast, northwest and southside, the study found.
The Franklin at 11th Street Station and SoLa will bring hundreds of new condos, apartments and townhomes downtown. But new housing is under construction all across the city, Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch said.
More than 40 villas, townhouses and single-family units, for instance, are under construction in The Moore, at Moore Road and U.S. 12.
"That's the beauty of Michigan City. It's not just downtown. It's all over the city," she said. "We have Woodland Ridge by the high school. On the northeast side, we have The Moore. We have Tyron Meadow. Housing now is sprouting throughout the city."
Allen Edwin Homes is building the first phase of 33 homes in Woodland Ridge on South Woodland Avenue south of West Pahs Road. The houses will range from 1,252 to 2,735 square feet and start at $310,000.
Tyron Meadow, a joint venture between Sloane Avenue Group and Redstone Group, will consist of 128 apartments, 56 townhomes and 34 single-family homes.
The City Council has facilitated such development, Nelson Deuitch said. The community also has embraced such projects, she said.
"There are houses already up," she said.
Massive new data centers planned in nearby New Carlisle will help drive more demand for housing in Michigan City, EDCMC Executive Director Clarence Hulse said. A new South Shore Line station in New Carlisle would help draw more commuters, he said.
“We believe in Michigan City,” Hulse said. “These studies have added another lens to look at our future development on both the residential and commercial sides. We look forward to putting together and implementing our next development steps. The market analysis demonstrates that Michigan City is a safe investment bet and we are ready to move to the next level."
In addition to a need for more housing, the Zimmerman-Volk study also found a huge unmet demand for retail in the city.
“There needs to be zoning reform for industrial spaces, such as allowing for partial retail and entry showrooms, street access and patios, to give people experiential experiences,” Principal Planner Donavan Smith said.
Franklin Street has long been the city's main commercial corridor. It has interesting architecture but could be enhanced with improvements like bike lanes, Principal Urban Designer Paul Lippens said.
“Michigan City is a star. It’s a gem in our Midwest trade areas. The city needs to feel safe – even something as simple as crossing the street needs to feel safe and clean,” he said. “Include business owners who have been invested in your community for some time in the new experience you’re trying to design.”
The city has other areas that are poised for future growth, Michigan City Director of Redevelopment Skyler York said.
“Michigan Boulevard is an opportunity waiting to happen,” he said. “We can make it another extension of our downtown. It can be redeveloped to create more density and to be more pedestrian-friendly.”
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