Although Valparaiso officials are tight-lipped about exactly where the new Chicago Dash station will be, they plan to begin making offers on downtown properties needed for the project.
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At a recent city council meeting, the Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission presented its 2017 budget, which included $5,127,200 from the commission to go with a $6,847,000 grant from the Regional Development Authority awarded to the Transportation Oriented District project last month.
Mayor Jon Costas said the project wouldn’t include the “water feature” that was in the original proposal and referred to as a canal, but it will spur growth.
Stu Summers, commission acting executive director, said the city will increase the parking places for the Chicago Dash from the roughly 120 around the intersection of Lincolnway and Campbell Street to 300 at the new site. Plus, Napoleon Street will not go through to U.S. 30, and the city won’t relocate the Smith Ready Mix concrete and Von Tobel properties, he said.
The V-Line bus that serves the city will also use the site, and he and City Economic Development Director Patrick Lyp said it would be near the CSX railroad tracks for any potential trains coming to Valparaiso.
Lyp said more information will likely be available at the Feb. 9 redevelopment commission meeting.
Summers said that because a major storm sewer under the current Dash lot requires significant work, it’s been suggested the work start this summer.
In other business:
*City Council Member Robert Cotton proposed that because the city developing a “dark fiber” internet line that will tap into the countrywide backbone near Lake Michigan, Valparaiso should apply for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s Broadband Ready Communities and pass an ordinance defining the city’s role. Summers said the high speed internet line, ValpoNet, should be in use by next year.
*Summers said the redevelopment commission’s school grants this year total $429,985 to Valparaiso Community Schools and $170,220 to East Porter County Schools.
*Summers responded to inquiries about the size of the city’s Tax Increment Financing districts, saying the newly unified district covers 17 percent of the city’s assessed valuation and 31 percent of its square acreage.
James D. Wolf Jr. is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.