In Whiting, the Regional Development Authority (RDA) provided a $22 million grant to help fund the transformation of the Whiting Lakefront Park. Together with expanded opportunities for additional residential and commercial development around the park and 119th Street, this project and related efforts under the Marquette Plan (such as the George Lake pedestrian bridge between Hammond and Whiting) have generated more than 200 construction jobs and transformed the park into an economic asset and attraction for the community.
A boardwalk, boat harbor and a concert venue are just part of the renovation of the Whiting Lakefront Park, which is expected to be completed this year. The project spurred the city's investment in Oil City Stadium and stimulated private investment, including residential development, new restaurants and a $12 million BP training center. Investors have approached the city about expanding the business district and a public/private partnership has been established to develop Whiting as a year-round lakefront destination. Most recently the city broke ground on a new mixed-use development – a four story building with commercial space on the ground level and luxury apartments above – that will be the first new building of its kind in the city in 60 years.
The lakefront project in Whiting has had a tremendous impact on the city. On Whiting’s web site, Mayor Joe Stahura calls the RDA grant that fueled development of the park as “the single most important event in his tenure as mayor.”
Our partnership with the city has been very rewarding and we feel Whiting is the premiere example of the kind of growth and economic development that can be created by recapturing the lakeshore via the Marquette Plan. The RDA plans to continue to work with Whiting and all the other lakefront communities we have worked with to ensure that the investments we have made continue to bear fruit.
