Of course, there have been some that have gone the either way. N-D: Lately we’ve seen some good news coming out of local businesses with various expansions and companies opting to remain in Michigan City.
The big box chains, you can have that, too, but the uptown area will be unique and where you’ll see festivals and the Taste of Michigan City and all that will escalte. has recovered a lot and I think in 10 years you won’t see a vacant storefront there, they’ll all be occupied. Of course, the ArtSpace project will be a giant boost and anchor. Meer: I think so because many folks said they’d like downtown to be like it was in the 40s, 50s and 60s, and maybe it’ll never be like that again, but it can be thriving. On the north end, locally-owned restaurants and shops are popping up, and on the south end, big box chains are becoming the norm. N-D: It seems that Michigan City is establishing two identities right now from a business standpoint. The Memorial Hospital site has strong interest in it right now. What goes in here, that’s gonna be a lot on (Redevelopment Commission). You’ll see some nice roads designed around there, you’ll see pedestrian walkways. It’s a nice architectural building and draws people into downtown. You won’t see The News-Dispatch building there anymore or the police station there anymore. Meer: You’re going to see two-way traffic on Washington and Pine streets.
What will this area look like in 10 years? N-D: Right now, in between the Uptown Arts District and the lake is a glut of buildings, including the library, The News-Dispatch, the police department and City Hall. We hear a lot about how the jobs that are being created are retail jobs, but there’s management jobs there, too. That’s all part of what’s being discussed. We’d like it to come from the private sector. Now, that’s not the city building and running this thing. The whole sledding and tobogganing thing has been brought up and zip lining, and then of course there are conversations – and we’ve had some investors come in and talk – about some indoor theme water park facility. Meer: They’re taking a look at, particularly on the north end, I think we have some parks that are under- utilized. N-D: One of the things that came out of the Lake Michigan Gateway Implementation Strategy meeting was the need for a year-round form of entertainment. I’d say we brought in a franchise quarterback. His energy and the know-how he has and what he’s accomplished in other communities are his biggest attributes. With his experience and accomplishments in other cities, and most noticeably in Valparaiso – people talk about Valparaiso and how well it’s doing as far as quality of life issues, which then draws in investors and businessmen who want to be in the community – he’s been instrumental and very energetic. Meer: Quite obviously, people felt things were pretty stagnant for a long time in the Planning Department. N-D: Talk about how important Craig has been in this process. Of course, we also brought in (Planning Director) Craig Phillips. This is putting data into an action plan. This was to refine it down and I did everything I could to avoid saying we’re going to be doing some kind of a study. They needed to be refined and when you do that, you can get assistance from the state. Meer: The whole Lake Michigan Gateway Implementation Strategy, actually I came up with that, rather than talking about a plan this was taking some of the top four or five common themes of past studies and let’s act on them. How do ideas get transformed into reality? That meeting a couple months ago was really great and there were a lot of nice ideas in there. N-D: Let’s start with the Lake Michigan Gateway Implementation Strategy. In the conversation that follows, Meer discusses the Lake Michigan Gateway Implementation Strategy, redevelopment throughout the city and the future of Michigan City. Under Meer’s leadership, the city has made strides in a number of areas, but he knows there’s plenty more work to be done. Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer is on a mission to make meaningful changes to Michigan City during his term. BY ADAM PARKHOUSE – Michigan City News Dispatch – Jun 27, 2014
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