Construction Begins at Jeorse Beach
East Chicago project will create jobs and improve the community
The City of East Chicago held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday to celebrate the beginning of work to restore the Lake Michigan shoreline in East Chicago. The RDA has provided $17 million in matching funds for this and other lakefront revitalization projects planned in East Chicago over the next several years.
Watch a video of RDA President and CEO Bill Hanna's remarks at the ceremony.
See photos of the groundbreaking and Jeorse Beach.
"Restoring the shoreline in East Chicago will encourage new business development and give residents of East Chicago a tremendous asset to enjoy for generations to come," says Ed Glover, East Chicago's representative on the RDA Board of Directors. According to East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland, the Jeorse Beach project is part of $30 million in improvements across the city being done this year.
The East Chicago lakefront revitalization is one of several Marquette Plan projects the RDA has funded in Whiting, Hammond, Portage and Gary. Overall, the RDA and lakeshore communities have invested more than $200 million in the Lake Michigan shoreline since 2006. Over the next ten years, these investments are projected to generate more than 1,000 jobs and will add $93 million a year to the region's total economic output by 2025.
