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By PAULENE POPARAD Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. of Munster expanded its client list Tuesday as the Porter Redevelopment Commission hired SEH to provide economic development consulting services for 2009 under a contract not to exceed $50,000. “It’s going to be very important for us to work with you to understand the direction you want us to go in and follow through and deliver whatever resources we can to Porter,” said A.J. Monroe of SEH, which last month was hired by Burns Harbor under a $200,000 contract for comprehensive planning and economic development services. Recently both Town Councils signed a memorandum of understanding pledging to work together on common goals and projects, especially along the shared U.S. 20 corridor. Designated representatives from each town to form a working group have yet to be named. Porter Redevelopment Commission president Michael Genger said with 3 million visitors each year coming to the state and federal parks that are within or surround Porter, and with the Porter County Visitor Center also located in town, tourism is a logical way to jump-start development along U.S. 20 and Indiana 49. Monroe said Porter has definite advantages. The Dune Park South Shore commuter station and Calumet Trial are nearby, he noted, and the Munson Place commercial/light industrial park along Indiana 49 is platted although vacant but for the visitor center; also, a new adjacent area was platted last year for the same uses at the southwest corner of U.S. 20 and Tremont Road where the WBEZ FM transmission tower is the only tenant. Urged Monroe, “It’s time to move some issues in Porter’s comprehensive plan forward.” He said SEH prides itself on implementation, which means helping find grants and aid to bring recommendations to reality. SEH secured $150,000 in planning grants for Burns Harbor in 2008 from the Lake Michigan Coastal Program and the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, sources Porter could tap, too, noted Monroe. He also predicted in the future the Porter County Council and County Commissioners will free up some money from the Porter hospital sale to promote economic development and create jobs. According to Porter Redevelopment Commission member Trevin Fowler, “Our community is very unique, and perhaps more so than other communities.” A balance needs to be struck between bringing people in on the recreational side and Porter’s economic development side as well, he added, asking several questions on how and what SEH could deliver. Monroe, pointing to Portage’s new Lakefront Park, said the city’s collaboration with a steel company and the National Park Service is an example of how good things get done today. Porter can benefit from partnerships, according to Monroe, yet it’s important any town never loses its identity. “We don’t need to be one homogeneous thing in northwest Indiana. Our charm is our uniqueness.” New Redevelopment Commission member Bruce Snyder asked how Monroe would develop Porter’s gateways. Monroe said a start would be doing a U.S. 20 corridor study, perhaps including Indiana 49. The matter will be discussed at the Feb. 24 commission meeting. “I think the timing is right; we have the political climate to support this,” said Fowler. “The lacing tying it all together will be critical.” Monroe said next month Burns Harbor will conduct workshops and take public comment on a proposed town center and design streetscapes for U. S. 20, standards which could extend into Porter. “No one is articulating the whole story,” Monroe told the Redevelopment Commission. “It’s easy to do the low-hanging fruit (projects) but there’s a whole nut we haven’t cracked.” Both Fowler and member Al Raffin said SEH needs to itemize its hourly rate in the contract; its approval was contingent on satisfactory review by the town attorney. In addition to Genger as president, Raffin was retained as commission vice-president and Fowler was named secretary. Town Council president Michele Bollinger opened the meeting by thanking members for their service. “We think you have the best of Porter at heart and we appreciate that.”
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