Michigan City: Shining Bright and Becoming a Destination in our Region

Michigan City: Shining Bright and Becoming a Destination in our Region

There’s been a concerted effort over the past several years to make Michigan City a real destination in our region. Positioned on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan, Michigan City has worked to revitalize its industrial sector, build up the downtown area, capitalize on the attraction that the shoreline provides, initiate programs which facilitate education and workforce development, and focus on placemaking as a way to attract new residents.

“We’ve really worked hard on place-making and improving our city,” said Michigan City Mayor, Ron Meer. “There was a lot of work over the last 3-5 years in setting the table and getting the atmosphere right for further development in Michigan City.”

“The downtown has been revitalized, we’ve enhanced the lakefront and we’re working to build our connectivity and wayfinding signage. There have also been some infrastructure projects that we’ve done with the new police station and the freeing up of some land on the north end of the city.”

Artspace-Opening-2017More recently, Michigan City has become a place of ‘firsts.’ The word is being used to describe the areas in which Michigan City is leading the way in bringing new and innovative projects and attractions that set the city apart from their neighbors in Northwest Indiana and across the state.

“We’re hearing about a lot of things in which Michigan City is the ‘first,’” Meer said. “We’ve got the first Artspace in the State of Indiana in our downtown and that’s become one of the pillars of our efforts to revitalize downtown Michigan City. We also have the first in Indiana, ADA-Compliant kayak and canoe launch on our lake front, which we worked in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources on.”

“We’re also really excited about the $240 million investment by Franciscan Health,” Meer said when speaking about the new hospital that Franciscan Health is building on the south side of Michigan City, near the newly constructed and enhanced city entrance-way at I-94 and U.S. 421.

One big project on the minds of officials and residents is the South Shore Line expansion which could better connect Michigan City, and the region, to Chicago, drive commercial and residential growth and spur economic development.

Bill Hanna, President and CEO of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, spoke about Michigan City, the proposed expansion.

mc-launch-2“I think they are in a great position to benefit from reduced times to Chicago,” Hanna said. “These station areas have to have a strong sense of place in addition to being efficient access points to Chicago. Michigan City is doing all the right things in its redevelopment efforts. They are reviving downtown and taking advantage of their unique location on the lake among other things.”

“Although the NWI RDA covers Lake and Porter counties,” Hanna continued, “we are working hand in hand with Michigan City, La Porte, South Bend and all four counties on the South Shore Double Tracking and modernization project. Leaders have emerged from across the four county area and are committed to this catalytic movement aimed at providing new opportunities for existing residence, population growth and a new era of if excitement about our future. Investors are taking notice.”

Growing the Michigan City economy and bringing businesses and jobs to the city is a major goal of the Economic Development Corporation of Michigan City (EDCMC). For the organization, it’s been a productive year and the future looks bright for the city and its residents.

“There’s been a lot of renewed interest in Michigan City,” said EDCMC Executive Director, Clarence Hulse. “We’re having a lot developers and prospective businesses looking closely at the area and we’re receiving a lot of interest from businesses that are already here that are looking to expand their products and companies. For us, that’s a really positive thing.”

mc-launch-4One major initiative getting underway in 2017 is the Michigan City Promise Scholarship. The ‘Promise Scholarship’ has been a powerful tool to promote growth and economic development in many communities across the United States in which it has been implemented.

Building a qualified workforce, creating a positive image of the school system and the community, increasing student enrollment, attracting new residents, and providing a climate that attracts new and better jobs are some of the benefits of the Promise Scholarship.

“We’re hoping that, as part of the whole Michigan City Promise Scholarship Program, this will also attract new residents to the community,” Hulse said. “We’re optimistic that this will help in creating a much larger employment base for companies that are here or are planning on moving here.”

“We’re excited that the program will be initiated this year and will help attract new families and new workers to the community. That’s really a positive for businesses that are looking to Michigan City as a possible destination for their operations.”

Michigan City’s quickly becoming an example of how, with advocates in both the public and private sectors, economic growth and place-making can come together to improve a city and make it a better place for everyone to live, work and grow. For the city, the future is indeed bright.