The Board of Directors of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority yesterday agreed to join with the City of Gary and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) in applying for a federal grant to fund transit-oriented development (TOD) at and around the South Shore station in Gary's Miller neighborhood.
"This is definitely the first transit oriented development project where the RDA will make an investment, so we are really excited," RDA Chief Operating Officer Sherri Ziller said.
The shifting of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority's focus to commuter rail is a big-picture move intended to revitalize Northwest Indiana and reinvigorate economic development, RDA President Bill Hanna told the board on Thursday.
Gary is applying for a $21.05 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transit Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, competitive grant program. Gary, NICTD and the RDA are pooling resources to provide the necessary local match for the grant application. NICTD is providing $860,000, Gary $1 million and the RDA $4.26 million.
If awarded the grant, the funds will be used for improvements at the Miller station, including the new high-level boarding platform called for in the NICTD 20-Year Strategic Business Plan jointly developed by the railroad and the RDA.
At yesterday's RDA Board meeting, the Board also accepted for review a request from Gary for a $7.5 million RDA grant to improve the access road at Buffington Harbor. If the grant is approved, these funds would be combined with investments from the City of Gary, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation to complete the $14 million project. The project would separate industrial and casino traffic at Buffington Harbor and provide increased access to industrial sites near the newly expanded Gary/Chicago International Airport.
Finally, the Board directed the RDA's fiscal task force to oversee the closing out of the RDA's No-Interest Securitized Forgivable Loan Program (formerly known as the Deal-Closing Fund). Changes made to the RDA's enabling legislation in the last session of the General Assembly removed the authorization for this form of economic development from the RDA's mission. The new law takes effect July 1, and the No-Interest Securitized Forgivable Loan Program will sunset at that point.
In housekeeping details, the Board held its annual election of new officers. State of Indiana appointee Don Fesko was re-elected as Chairman; State of Indiana appointee Harley Snyder was re-elected as Vice-Chairman; and Gary appointee Bill Joiner was re-elected as Treasurer. New Porter County appointee Chris Campbell was also formally sworn in.
