The City of La Porte, the City of La Porte's Redevelopment Commission (RDC) and the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation (GLEDC) are pleased to announce the engagement of Holladay Properties as developer of the NewPorte Landing Redevelopment Project. The NewPorte Landing Project represents the redevelopment of 150 acres located along Clear Lake in the heart of the City of La Porte.
"We are extremely excited about all of the continued development in La Porte and this agreement represents a monumental step forward in a major project for the City. The NewPorte Landing site has long been an underutilized asset in the city and it’s great to have the opportunity to collaborate with a group like Holladay that has an outstanding reputation in our region and across the country to bring the area back to life. So much of La Porte's history has taken place on this site that I see it as only fitting that it will play a prominent role in the continued growth and success of our great City," said Mayor Blair Milo.
Holladay Properties will begin work immediately assessing the development plan for this site. Representatives from the City, Redevelopment Commission, New Porte Landing Committee and the Community Development Partnership conducted an extensive search for qualified developers interested in taking on the New Porte Landing project. Gene Dollberg, President of the RDC commented, "We were more than pleased with the response we received from developers interested in our project. In fact, we received a large number of extremely qualified parties eager to be a part of this effort. At the end of the day it was obvious to us that Tim Healy and Mike Micka of Holladay Properties represented the right firm to assist us in this endeavor." Holladay properties has been lauded for their many development successes including the Ameriplex at the Port complex in Portage, IN, home to numerous industrial and retail users including Bass Pro Shop, Starbucks, McDonalds and Country Inn and Suites. Another recent success for Holladay i s the Heritage Square development in Mishawaka, which boasts of Martin’s Supermarket, Coldwater Creek, Eddie Bauer, White House/Black Market and other stores.
One of the major factors that attracted developers to this project is the partnership created by the entities who have been working on the project for a number of years. The Community Development Partnership is made up of local investors, many from the banking industry as well as the La Porte Economic Advancement Foundation (LEAF) who have been working on preparing this site for development for many years in conjunction with the La Porte Redevelopment Commission. Bert Cook, Executive Director of GLEDC, led the coordination efforts as he tracked significant increases in retail and commercial interest in La Porte over the last year. "We are really moving forward with this project at a great time. As interest in La Porte has grown in recent months it is essential for us to have locations where these businesses can call home," said the GLEDC Executive Director.
"We couldn't be more pleased the City of La Porte chose to engage our firm on this project. We share La Porte's enthusiasm for this project and look forward to the work we will complete in the coming months. At the end of the day we want to construct a project that residents of La Porte see as an asset to the community and can identify with," said Mike Micka, Vice President of Development for Holladay Properties.
To find out more about the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation, click here! Be sure to also visit the GLEDC Facebook page!