The North Harbor Redevelopment Initiative (NHRI) is a comprehensive strategy aimed to bring back civic pride into the North Harbor by connecting the community through revitalization. East Chicagoans have long realized that parts of Indiana Harbor have been vastly ignored for years, particularly in the North Harbor section along Main Street, Michigan Avenue, and Guthrie. Empty storefronts have long plagued the Harbor and residents have expressed great disappointment and frustration because of major inactivity. Renters have expressed difficulty with leasing because of decreasing home values.
These voices and concerns are responsible for the creation of the NHRI and making it a foremost priority on his ambitious agenda to restore pride and opportunity back into East Chicago.
Goals
This Initiative is intended to:
- Attract new families and businesses, visitors, and investors to East Chicago, and act a catalyst for economic development throughout Northwest Indiana.
- Improve the quality of life for community residents
Streetscape Plan
Currently, the business district down Main Street is receiving a much-needed makeover. The streetscape plans include new sidewalks, trees, and street furniture that will make these streets more inviting when combined with new town homes, retail space and rehabbed storefronts. The city has already completed the 3500 and 3600 blocks of Main and will soon begin the 2000 and 2100 blocks of Broadway, including a brick design for the Main and Broadway intersection.
Along Main Street and Broadway (the core of Indiana Harbor), we are building new retail and housing and constructing community parks (Nunez and Callahan) with new athletic fields, playground equipment and concert stages. This is planned to include a park campus that connects Lincoln Elementary to the Roberto Clemente Community Center, making the center easily accessible to the school and community.
Public Safety
With regards to public safety, East Chicago is working to implement a new citywide neighborhood safety and crime prevention program with pilot programs starting in the North Harbor. Also all parks and busy primary locations will be equipped with high tech security cameras both visible and hidden to reduce crime in such areas.
Regional Development Authority Partnership
Perhaps most exciting is the City partnership with the Regional Development Authority (RDA) to revitalize the Indiana Harbor as a bona-fide lakefront community. To compliment this lakefront community, the Carnegie Performing Arts Association recently unveiled revitalization plans for a state-of-the-art performing arts center and historic facility that will be available for use by local corporations, art groups, and the community at large.
