The “sweetheart
partner” of the Indiana Department of Resources, Pavilion Partners LLC, is
renovating the Pavilion at Indiana Dunes State Park into a private facility,
and plan to build a new convention/banquet facility next door, on the
beautiful lakefront of Indiana Dunes State Park.
They are building
new restroom/shower facilities next to the Pavilion, giving them more room
inside the pavilion for their commercial endeavors. They plan to take over a
public building, remodel it to suit their needs, and then build a new, huge
structure for their commercial use.
In March, a PP
spokesperson stated the project would cost 3 to 4 million dollars. In three
months, these costs have ballooned to 6 to 8 million dollars, according to
the DNR. This is not a partnership or charity case that is being undertaken
to benefit the public. In fact, the public, iconic Pavilion will be
converted to a private enterprise.
According to the
State website, “everyone will be welcome to eat meals in the restaurant or
rent the banquet center for weddings or other event.” Any money PP spends
would be money that would have to be spent on any private business. However,
they will be spared the cost of having to purchase land, or pay taxes on one
of the most desirable of lakefront locations in the Midwest, at a cost of
$18,000 a year and 2% of profits, for 35 to 65 years.
A favorable
Economic Impact Statement by the State notes, “A lessee or concessionaire
would be a private business operation to operate the Pavilion for a
restaurant and rental for group sales that would allow for alcohol to be
served. There is no comparable business from Chicago to Southwest Michigan
that serves food and alcohol in a restaurant within or on Lake Michigan. No
impacts should be affected, to other ‘like’ businesses along the Lake
Michigan waterfront, by allowing alcohol to be served in this facility.” The
statement ignores impacts to restaurants or banquet facilities in the
region, without this prime location and financial advantages.
Ryan Richardson of
PP went before the Porter County Alcoholic Beverage Commission, describing
the business as a Bar and Restaurant. Alcohol will be very important to its
success, with serving options available on each of the floors.
In 1990, alcohol
was permanently banned at the park, because of problems with violence and
gangs. Now, they would re-introduce it, in pursuit of profit, disregarding
history.
Julie Roesler
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Several
organizations have come out against the construction of the
conference/banquet center including the Sierra Club, the Hoosier
Environmental Council, the local Audubon Society in NWI, Izaak Walton League
and others.
These organizations
care about conservation, not profits. Most are not against the
rehabilitation of the original pavilion, but are against new construction on
the beach.
The fact is the
park is encumbered by LWCF (Land and Water Conservation Fund) rules from the
NPS since they accepted these funds in the past. Converting the land to
private use is illegal.
Dan Bortner
admitted at the forum on April 15, 2015 that the “project would have never
happened, because they knew there was opposition to any construction on the
beach.” Why did he know that? Because of the unsuccessful attempt to build a
hotel on the beach in 2006.
Government should
be transparent, and the DNR should be making the best effort to preserve
these natural areas, not selling them out to the highest bidder.
The Indiana Dunes
are known as the “birthplace of ecology” in America. Since the early 1800’s
it’s been under attack from commercialization and industrialization. These
unique lands drew scientists from Chicago to study it since the early
1900’s.
The state claims to
not have the money for the pavilion, yet has $25 million to invest in a new
inn at Potato Creek State Park. It seems the state can’t allocate money for
existing buildings, but wants to build new ones it won’t be able to afford
either.
They say that it
will occur on existing concrete and asphalt. All one has to do is ask, “What
is under that concrete?” The answer to that is natural beach sand. The
proposed site of the conference/banquet center has been washed out before by
the Dunes Creek.
The local Audubon
Society in NWI has stated the windows will kill many birds. The migratory
birds utilize the shoreline and the stars for navigation. The additional
lights for the conference/banquet center may distort those migratory paths.
There are over 70 species of migratory birds that utilize the park. The
additional lights will also destroy a unique view we get of the Northern
Lights and Milky Way for the local astronomers here. Nearby communities have
received grants for lower street lighting to keep this a dark sky area.
The DNR should call
themselves the Destruction of Natural Resources, since they certainly are
not committed to preservation of these lands and have sold their soul out to
the highest bidder.
Ed Dixon
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More backroom
deals! The construction at Indian Dunes State Park is another example of
government officials making a secret back room deal for the benefit of a few
who are politically connected.
In front of nearly
300 people a DNR official admitted that since 2012 they deliberately kept
their plans for a huge banquet/conference center on the beach secret because
the public would be so outraged that the DNR would not be able to get a
signed contract.
One of them
arrogantly stated, “We cannot make decisions by committee,” Now we find out
that the contract violates federal law and still construction continues!
Please, write the
DNR, Governor Pence, sign a petition, talk to your friends, join
DunesAction.org.
Let’s send the
message that this “committee,” opposed to the Mistake on the Lake, is
organized, effective, and powerful!
Pam Rearick