Northwest Indiana RDA wants to spark development along South Shore

The money will be combined with a $1 million contribution from the city of Gary and $860,000 from the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District to make up the local match for a federal grant the three organizations will apply for, according to the RDA.

If the grant application succeeds, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transit Investment Generating Economic Recovery program would contribute $21.05 million to the project. If the application is rejected, the RDA will not appropriate the funds.

"This is definitely the first transit oriented development project where the RDA will make an investment, so we are really excited," RDA Chief Operating Officer Sherri Ziller said.

The shifting of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority's focus to commuter rail is a big-picture move intended to revitalize Northwest Indiana and reinvigorate economic development, RDA President Bill Hanna told the board on Thursday.

In its first meeting of the year Thursday, Hanna said the RDA is transitioning to a rail-centric agenda with expected exponential affects that will position northwest Indiana to build growth in and around commuter rail.

Using Miller as an example, Hanna told the RDA board improvements to commuter rail and the transportation oriented development method of planning is "key to extract maximum revenue" for such lakeshore communities as Gary, Whiting, East Chicago and Portage.

Such planning would link the lakeshore to commercial corridors and eventually result in improved, adjacent infrastructure, the attraction of high-density housing and stabilization of the middle class, Hanna said.

Bo Kemp, Executive Director of the Gary Economic Development Corp., told the RDA Board his hope is to "form a template" for others to follow.

"It's just development," said Mike Noland, CEO and General Manager at Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District. Noland said such planning centers on the development and economic opportunity transit can bring.

His role will be to shepherd double track and high-level platforms from "Tennessee Street to Randolph" in Gary, enabling more trains with faster times, Noland said. The goal, he said, realizable perhaps in a decade, would be provide commuters with 90 minute trips from South Bend, 60 minutes from Michigan City, 50 minutes from Dune Park, 40 Minutes from Ogden Dunes, 30 minutes from Gary and 25 minutes from Hammond.

"We want to stop the outflow of young professional couples with faster commutes," Noland said. Planned improvements and enhancements to the rail commute should raise the South Shore's current ridership of 12,000 annually to 18,00 to 20,000 annually.

While Noland said he has had preliminary discussions with community leaders along the route, RDA Board member Tom Dabertin said, "I would encourage you to start these conversations sooner than later, because it's a criticism we hear," he said. "Everyone needs to feel invited to the table," he said.

Hanna said the RDA has a "firm partnership" with NICTD working towards common goals.

The RDA board on Thursday also accepted for review a request from Gary for a $7.5 million grant to improve the access road at Buffington Harbor. If the grant is approved, these funds would be combined with money  from the City of Gary, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to complete the $14 million project.

The recent legislation session dealt changes to the RDA and its funding, Hanna said. Funding from the state will equal $10 million annually. For that reason, the RDA's annual budget has remained the same, $27.5 million, of which $10 million has been committed to rail.

The RDA Board re-elected Chairman Don Fesko, Vice Chairman Snyder, and Treasurer Bill Joiner to another year in those offices.

Chris Campbell, was installed as the newest member of the RDA Board of Directors.