The first glimpse of a revitalized lakefront in East Chicago should be visible by next year, in the form of some rock reef to adorn the shoreline and the introduction of new plants and wildlife.
East Chicago kicked off the $2.4 million project at Jeorse Park on Tuesday with a groundbreaking ceremony. Dozens of people were on hand at the ceremony including U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville; Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago; and East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland.
“We are pleased to begin this project and working with the Army Corps of Engineers,” Copeland said. “We are making every effort to beautify our lakefront. The restoration of the ecosystem is essential to restoring the natural balance along our beaches.”
Over the past three years, Jeorse Park has undergone a facelift including the addition of new facilities and park amenities. For this project, East Chicago partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to begin construction on the beachfront with the intentions of diversifying the plants and wildlife.
“This project will restore essential habitats for fishes, migratory birds, reptiles and amphibians near Jeorse Park,” Col. Christopher Drew, USACE Chicago District Commander, said. “We look forward to working with our partner, the city of East Chicago, to rehabilitate this area along Lake Michigan’s shoreline.”
“The environment is critical for the economic region and the economic capabilities of the region are important for us to be able to do these environmental projects and take care of the citizens of this region,” Drew said.
While the project is scheduled to take five years, most of the construction will take place within one year, said Matthew Shanks, a biologist with USACE.
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“A lot of the construction activity such as earthmoving, constructing rock reef and planting occur this year,” he said. After planting new vegetation, they will monitor the beach to ensure the plant life is established and unwanted vegetation does not creep back into the project site, Shanks said.
Visclosky said it was important to make sure the process of improving Jeorse Park was done carefully.
“It is right to make sure things are done properly and not just so people can have something cool but so we can redevelop and enhance the economy and put people to work in Northwest Indiana,” he said. “Because there’s nothing else quite like the shoreline of Lake Michigan and you can’t move East Chicago.”
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