Tuesday the Porter Town Council will discuss possible establishment of a municipal riverfront district in hopes of jump-starting redevelopment of The Spa restaurant/banquet center on Mineral Springs Road.

The council meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the town hall.

The Porter Redevelopment Commission will convene first at 6 p.m. there to consider a resolution to expand its tax-increment financing or TIF allocation area to include all 32 acres of Splash Down Dunes property slated for $1.5 to $2 million in improvements.

According to its president, Greg Stinson, the Town Council is looking at establishing a riverfront district along the Little Calumet River that would include The Spa.

The popular restaurant known for its Sunday brunches has been closed for many years.

Said Stinson, “There is a need to create this (riverfront) area to allow for a liquor license for that establishment. We would like to see this business get back up and running. However, we have no available liquor licenses in town.”

Stinson said Tuesday he plans to present information about riverfront districts to the public and ask for Porter council consensus to move forward with further research and the drafting of the necessary ordinance for consideration at a future date.

The only other item on the council agenda in addition to department reports is an interlocal agreement regarding Indiana 49.

At its July 27 meeting the Porter RDC initiated the process to include Splash Down Dunes, recently acquired by Seven Peaks Marketing of Utah, as part of the town’s TIF district where property taxes collected on new development there are reserved solely for the RDC’s own use.

Both the waterpark parcel at the northeast corner of U.S. 20 and Wavely Road and the parking lot parcel on the west side of Waverly across from the waterpark’s main entrance will be placed within the TIF boundaries if one or both tracts weren’t already included. Previous documentation was being researched.

The new waterpark owner, which operates similar Seven Peaks venues and amusement centers in Utah, announced plans in June to build a tunnel under Waverly from the parking lot to the waterpark as part of upgrades to be made prior to the 2013 grand opening.

Other items on the RDC agenda include updates on a State Park Road hydraulic study, an Indiana 49 interlocal agreement and department head reports. Both the Town Council and RDC take public comment as their respective meetings begin under audience participation.

At 5 p.m. Tuesday at the town hall the Porter Stormwater Management Board meets. Staff reports will be heard and the board will discuss a matter regarding Worthington Steel. Public comment for the board is taken at the meeting’s conclusion.

Posted 8/27/2012