20 Questions
(for the Mayor)
Everywhere I go in Hammond and in Northwest Indiana, people ask me questions. Often, they’re the same questions. On this page I will keep you up to date with answers to the top 20(or more) questions asked.
Mayor Tom McDermott Jr.
What’s happening with the Nine-Span Bridge?
There are two developers interested in acquiring the land near the bridge for intermodal facilities. These companies would potentially create thousands of jobs, but this cannot happen if INDOT shortens and lowers the bridge. We’re working on securing the footprint for this use, and will continue to work with the state to ensure a solution that works for Hammond. Our goal is to create good paying job opportunities for Hammond residents.
What’s the status of the magnet school?
A magnet school, focusing on the arts and technology, would enhance the learning opportunities of Hammond’s children. The school would be open to all Hammond students, with a lottery to determine admission. The City and Purdue University Calumet have come together, and are currently studying options for funding and other details.
What is the College Bound program?
This is one of my favorite projects, and it’s one that will raise the quality of life for many people in Hammond. College Bound is a scholarship program for Hammond students that will provide up to $7,500 a year for four years. Requirements include that the student’s parents own the home where they live. This encourages homeownership. Currently about 35 percent of Hammond homes are not owner-occupied, and this program gives incentives to families to move to Hammond and stay in Hammond. 117 students were eligible this year.
A friend in Robertsdale mentioned the 35-acre project. What and where is this?
Essentially a steel-slag site, the 35-acre site lies along State Line, just south of Indianapolis Boulevard and west of Cargill. We’ve been talking to several “big box” retailers and restaurants that are seriously interested in this location, and there are currently very few places to shop in that area. This project is on somewhat of a fast track. We want to have remediation completed and a development begun in one to two years.
What are Horseshoe Casino’s plans for expansion?
Horseshoe is investing $485 million dollars to build a world-class entertainment destination in Hammond. In addition to the gaming they offer, look for a 3,000-seat auditorium featuring Vegas-style entertainment. To facilitate construction, we have to close the marina for the 2007 season only. There are incentives and penalties to ensure that construction is completed on time. The additional jobs and gaming revenue will help lower Hammond’s property taxes. Projections are that they’ll go down by about 10 percent.
When will the new Woodmar Mall open?
Look for demolition on the old mall to be completed around the end of October, with Carson’s remaining open while their new store is constructed on the south end of the property. Carson’s will move into the new store and the old building will be demolished. The new mall represents a $33 million investment by the developer and will offer a number of shopping and dining options not currently available in Hammond.
What’s on the horizon for the River Park Apartments property?
Getting rid of the blight that was River Park Apartments was a campaign promise, and one that I’m proud to say has happened. With numerous code and health violations, a high crime rate and several pending lawsuits, River Park was a drain on city resources. We settled the suits and purchased the property, owning it as of January 2006. We’re currently demolishing the 24 buildings (2-stories+basement) that sit on the 25-acre site. It will be marketed for commercial development, with preference given to a plan that will complement adjacent Oxbow Park.
When can I start shopping at Cabela’s?
Demolition has begun on the old Woodmar County Club, with completion of Cabela’s 185,000 sq. ft. building scheduled in time for holiday shopping in 2007. Cabela’s secured state and city incentives to help finance the project, which will also include other retail development. Expediting the Little Calumet levy project, thereby taking a number of Hammond properties out of the flood zone is an added bonus to the Cabela’s project.
Why didn’t Cabela’s just buy the Interstate Plaza (K-Mart) property? Are there any plans for that site?
Frankly, the 25-acre Interstate Plaza site is too small for Cabela’s. The Woodmar site is nearly 100 acres. We’re taking a wait and see approach to the Interstate Plaza site and fully expect that building Cabela’s will spur development on the east side of Indianapolis Boulevard. Alverno Clinical Laboratories and the Department of Motor Vehicles are still located in that complex.
Building the curb on Stateline in South Hammond was a drastic way to deal with the traffic problem. Was there an alternative?
No, there was really no other way to discourage the traffic that was using the neighborhood as an east-west shortcut. None of those streets between 173rd and 165th were designed as “collectors,” but were being used that way. Changing the traffic pattern by building the curb on has created a quiet neighborhood for hundreds of residents.
Are the dorms at Purdue University Calumet being used?
Not only are the dorms at 100 percent capacity, the school has a waiting list for the 376 spaces. University Village was 85 percent filled when it opened last fall and there are already plans in the works for a second phase that would include more student housing and a student center. This project, along with the parking garage and other capital improvements to the campus show that Purdue remains committed to the City of Hammond.
How does the two percent circuit breaker work?
The circuit breaker ensures that a homeowner (the property must have a homestead exemption to qualify) won’t pay a property tax bill higher than two percent of the home’s gross assessed value. For example, a $100,000 home’s annual tax bill won’t be more than $2,000. Hammond also provides relief to senior citizens (what age qualifies) and disabled persons with an annual $500 reduction of their tax bill. That adds up to about 41.7 million in tax relief for seniors and disabled alone. We’re doing our best to keep property taxes under control.
Who uses the ball fields at the Hammond Optimist Youth Sports Complex?
The complex, located at the old Riley Elementary School site (Columbia Avenue near the Little Calumet River), is home to the organizations previously known as Woodmar Boys Baseball and Edison Girls Softball leagues. More than 500 six to 12 year-olds use the five fields during the spring and summer. Future plans for the complex include a press box, walking path and a skateboard park. The timetable calls for completion by spring 2007.
In the last couple of years, there have been a number of improvements to city parks. Where is the money coming from?
We’ve taken a fresh look at how casino monies can and should be spent, making park improvements allowable infrastructure expenditures. City Council members are now able to earmark funds for the parks in their districts. Irving, Columbia, Martin Luther King and Forsythe Parks all were upgraded in some way.
How is Lost Marsh Golf Course funded?
Lost Marsh is under the jurisdiction of the Port Authority, therefore is funded by casino and marina monies and not Redevelopment Commission financing. Plans to upgrade the golf course property include a clubhouse. The Port Authority also has taken the responsibility of the Parks in the Robertsdale area (including Wolf Lake and Lakefront Parks) to better coordinate recreational opportunities in that neighborhood.
What is the Henry Unit?
Using funding from the gaming revenue, the Hammond Police Department has created the Henry Unit. This initiative puts six additional patrol cars and officers on the streets daily in six-hour shifts during higher crime times. Because of the changes in the way gaming money can now be spent, the city is able to use funds in this way. And, we’re confident that it’s working. In the two years the program has been in place crime is down.
Just what are Reciprocity Stings?
When someone moves into Indiana from another state, they have 60 days to get an Indiana plate. After that, they are breaking the law. But because Indiana plates cost less than Illinois, some people ignore the law. Hammond police target apartment complexes year-round and the local schools in the fall and spring to catch the lawbreakers. And it’s not a small problem; those plate taxes help pay for a variety of services.
What is happening to the old office building near Lost Marsh Golf Course?
A group of doctors has plans to convert the building at 2200 New York Avenue in Robertsdale into a hospital. Initial plans are on the table. This is an ambitious project and it will be several years before we see it come to fruition.
I’ve seen workers and equipment in around Wolf Lake. What is going on?
Work is progressing to restore the shoreline and wetlands at Wolf Lake. This seven million dollar project is a partnership among Congressman Visclosky’s office, Parks and Recreation, the Port Authority and the Mayor’s office. Our goal is, of course, environmental restoration, but an added bonus is that the neighborhood near the lake will be eligible to be taken out of the designated flood zone sometime in 2008.
Vogel’s Restaurant near Unilever was finally demolished. What took so long?
The restaurant had sat as an abandoned eyesore for more than five years. Taking it down couldn’t happen until several lawsuits were settled. Plans to redevelop this site will probably be on hold until after the Horseshoe Casino expansion nears completion.
I heard that some of the city vehicles are now running on alternate fuel. Is that true?
One of our garbage trucks has been using a biofuel made from 100 percent vegetable oil for more than six months. Our testing shows that this truck is running as well or better than those burning diesel. This is a great way to take advantage of a renewable resource and be environmentally conscientious. The next step is to test the fuel in six to eight other city vehicles.
Are there plans to revitalize downtown Hammond?
We’ve concentrated on other areas of the city for the past three years, and now it’s time to focus on the downtown area. A number of viable businesses are already quietly doing business there. There are plans to relocate a business that has a large number of employees. Those employees will drive demand for restaurants and services. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.
