The opening of Central Park Plaza has been www.valpo.us a reason for the city to celebrate. “What a great time for our city. We’re so pleased to see months of planning and partnerships take shape in a community-wide gathering space,” said Mayor Jon Costas. Even better was the fact that the park was created without raising taxes, borrowing money or issuing bonds.
Yet the opening festivities were just the beginning for Valparaiso as the revitalized downtown continues to make the city a regional destination. Just ask business owners like Jeanette Binder whose family has owned and operated Martin Binder Jeweler downtown for 62 years. “The downtown is on the upswing. As you look around, you’re seeing a much warmer downtown,” she said, noting that her business appreciates the new faces and visitors downtown.
Some of the new faces will be business owners as new businesses continue to get excited about investing in Valparaiso. Cory and Blair Muro have chosen Valparaiso for their new farm-to-table restaurant, The Valley, scheduled to open in October at 55 Franklin St. “We chose Valparaiso because the city is doing a lot to make it a nice place. We wanted to jump on the bandwagon and support them, because we knew they would support us,” said Cory Muro.
“The good just builds. The improvements to downtown bring added traffic, which brings added business, which brings added income and jobs. We’re doing our best to add value to our city for generations to come,” said Mayor Jon Costas.
Central Park Plaza has become a regional destination, complete with Splash Pad, Porter Health Amphitheater and plenty of green space for gathering. The new park and revitalized downtown are drawing new businesses and shoppers to the entire city.
Photo taken by Lori Page of Valparaiso